


The reason for madness

by Different_Reality



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, Dysfunctional Family, Family Secrets, Gen, Good Loki, Loki's Kids, Protective Avengers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-26 22:08:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 64,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1704311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Different_Reality/pseuds/Different_Reality
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after the events of Thor: The Dark World, Loki returns to Asgard with a surprise for Thor. On the run from Thanos and his armies Loki must enlist the help of the Avengers in order to protect the one thing powerful enough to destroy the nine realms: His daughter. With Thanos getting closer every day the new team must travel beyond the nine realms in search of the Dashner Diode- An ancient crystal with the power to destroy Thanos. Their search will lead them on the adventure of a lifetime battling creatures and finding new lands. But time is running out and Loki is about to learn that family's always hide the darkest of secrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reunion.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever Fan fiction so I hope you like it. I am open to response, good and bad and I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)

Asgard was in lockdown. In the space of an hour guards had been placed on every door and the whole kingdom had been placed under confinement with shops boarded up and stalls in the market square left abandoned. The only sounds were those of marching footsteps and creaking armour as guards patrolled every corridor, every home in Asgard. 

In the great hall Odin paced furiously up and down the steps leading up to the throne. He gripped his staff tightly in his hand using it to occupy his mind whilst he awaited Lady Sif's return with news on the intruder. He approached the throne and perched on the edge his fingers twitching on the large armrests as he nervously looked around the great hall at the hundred or so guards who were also anxiously waiting to be called forwards by the warriors three. 

Off to the side he heard the large oak doors creak open and heavy footsteps enter. Even with the clatter of armour it was clear who was entering. 

"I did not expect you back so soon" Odin questioned at Thor who walked through the large group of people and bowed when he reached the bottom of the stone steps. 

"Heimdall sent word of an intruder. You expected me to remain in Midgard when my home is under threat"? Thor replied, striding up the steps so he did not have to shout as loud over the din of the crowd. 

"Indeed there is an intruder in our midst though we know not where" Odin sighed "we do not know who they are nor where they come from" 

"Then how do you know we have an intruder" Thor asked confused. He was interrupted by lady Sif who had run through the hall at alarming pace and approached the throne alongside Thor. She greeted him with a nod then turned her attentions back to the all-father. 

"We have reason to believe they have found their way into the palace itself." Sif breathed heavily between words trying to catch her breath. 

"From where have you run" Thor joked unused to seeing her so out of breath. Many a battle she had won without breaking a sweat yet now she stood by his side struggling to fill her lungs and form coherent sentences. 

"I now know every side street in this realm like I am holding a map in front of my eyes. I'd like to know why it only now you have graced us with your presence." Sif seethed her face cooling down and her chest relaxing. 

"There are more important matters than where Thor has been" Odin shouted gaining the attention of most of the great hall and not just the two stood in front of him. "What is important is that we find whoever has entered Asgard before there are more serious consequences" he continued still with the same deep voice that shook the room. 

"How do you know of the intruder" Thor asked again this time directing the question at both members involved. 

"They were the ones who sounded the alarm" Sif answered a tone of sarcasm in her voice. 

"What do you mean they sounded the alarm" Thor questioned then fell silent as he switched his gaze between the two who were staring at him blankly. "No" he breathed as he took of back down the steps and running out into the courtyard surrounding the great hall. Odin watched as he took off into the maze of corridors which made up the palace. 

"Should I follow him"? Sif asked walking towards the same door Thor just disappeared through. 

"Gather the warriors three first" Orion ordered. "Wherever Thor is going I don't want him to face it alone. I want safety in numbers till we know who we are dealing with"

Sif nodded and took off to find Volstagg and the others, grabbing her sword from a nearby guard who held it out in front of him as she hurried past. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Thor rushed through the corridors taking turns more by leaping than actually turning. His footsteps bounded along the floor drowning out any other sound around him. His cape billowed out behind him as he ran down stairs and under archways making his way closer to his chambers. He slowed as he approached a group of guards huddled closely together who were running in the opposite direction. All wore tired faces and their movements were limp. He could only imagine how long the all-father had had them running around the castle like cats in search of a mouse.

He shuffled past them then rounded the corner. He was about to break into a run again when he noticed a girl standing outside his door. She was dressed in a loose white t shirt covered by a grey stripy cardigan and black skirt which stopped above the knees. Her black hair fell in long waves past her waist and her eyes were a deep green with flecks of red around the iris. Thor stopped dead in his tracks as he approached the young girl who lazily pushed herself off of the door frame to greet him. 

"Hello uncle Thor" she joked dropping her hand back down to her waist when he did not accept it. 

"What in Odin's name are you doing here Hel" Thor gasped pushing her inside of his rooms before another group of guards saw them. "Why did you sound the alarm" he questioned when the door was fully closed behind them. He had so many questions he started listing them without giving her chance to reply. 

"I didn't sound the alarm and believe me I'd rather be elsewhere than your bed chambers" she seethed. When Thor had paused to take a breath. 

"Then who-" Thor noticed another figure entering from the next room and grabbed Mjolnir from the table opposite. He adjusted his grip then turned to face the figure. 

"Brother i have no where else to go" Loki sighed shutting the door silently behind him. Thor stood shocked unable to speak as he watched his brother walk around the large wooden bed and stop in front of him.

"How is it you are alive" Thor asked, the hurt ringing loud and clear in his voice. 

"I will answer any questions when we are anywhere but here" Loki winched and for the first time Thor noticed how he was holding himself with his foot partially off the floor. Down his left arm there were three deep cuts that had ripped through his armour as well as some of his muscle. 

"Loki explain yourself" Thor said as he set Mjolnir back down on the table and moved over to help his brother. Loki stuck out his hand and pushed him back despite the pain it caused him. 

"Thor I need your word you will help me" Loki was in a hurry and it took all his strength to stand upright. 

"Yesterday I believed you to be dead now you show looking worse off than when I left you. How is this possible"

"Thor just give me your word" Loki snapped. 

"Yes. Yes of course you have my word brother. Who did this too you?"

"Thanos"

"Loki you swore never to approach him again"

"He had something of mine and I was going to get it back. Sadly the cost was greater than I had anticipated" he winced again and gave up his illusion spell as he sunk onto the bed gripping one of the posters tightly for support. Thor could now see the full extent of his injuries. Bruising covered half his face and his once green cape was tarnish with so much blood and dirt it looked a duller shade of red than it's striking green. His eyes were sunken and he no longer wore the smirk Thor had come to worry about. 

"Brother how could this happen" Thor asked walking over to sit by him. "What could Thanos possibly have had which made you risk your life"

Thor glanced over at Hel who had been standing in the corner silently this whole time. Only now she wasn't stood alone. Peeping out from behind the taller girl was a much shorter girl who was gripping Hel's hand tightly. Thor stood once again and stared at the piercing green eyes that met his gaze, Slightly covered by messy knots of dark auburn hair. 

"Loki explain" Thor sighed not knowing whether to look at his brother or at Hel. 

Loki groaned as he stood and slowly made his way over to the two girls. He took the smaller girls hand in his and smiled down at her affectionately. 

"This is Alayna. My daughter" Loki sighed slumping against the wall. All Thor could was stand there in shock as he realised just how much Loki needed his help.


	2. The escape

"Thor if you really want to help me you can start by getting me out of Asgard" Loki rushed hearing footsteps outside Thor's chamber. 

Thor could only nod as he helped his brother towards the door. This was going to take longer than planned Loki thought as he limped across the room. Thor opened the door carefully checking for any guards. The halls were empty though he could hear a large group approaching. 

"I have got Alayna" Hel said pushing past Thor and running out into the corridor. "Meet us on that balcony" she called back pointing out of the window to a large balcony with flowers and ivy tumbling over the edge and cascading into the air. 

"Wait" Thor shouted but was silenced by Loki. 

"She knows what she's doing" Loki clutched his arm and fell through the door. 

"Does she know the way" 

"I may have given her a tour the last time she came here" Loki admitted.

"She has been here before" Thor sounded alarmed. "Tell me Loki just how much have you kept from me"

"I don't think we have the time" Loki responded pointing to the soldiers who were now charging at them down the corridor. Their footsteps grew louder, echoing in their ears. Thor called Mjolnir and he heard the metallic whistle as it flew over the guards and into his hand. He lent Loki against a column and ran towards the oncoming stampede. 

"I don't call this helping" Loki called out over the sounds of Thor taking out several guards. "And this ones still moving" noticing one guard who was crawling away by his feet. 

"Why would I kill our own Loki" Thor pointed out getting ready to fight the next wave he could hear climbing the stairs. 

"Because they're trying to kill you" he pointed out as one guard took a swing at Thor with his sword. He easily deflected it with his rock like arm and pushed the guard into the wall knocking him out. 

"No Loki they are trying to kill you" Thor yelled throwing Mjolnir through the centre of the group taking out eight more in one go. 

"Err Thor" Loki asked seeing a second group enter from the other side end of the corridor led by Sif. She held her shield out in front of her body deflecting a spear which was knocked from another guards hand as he fell down the stairs. 

"By order of the all-father you are to stand down or be killed" she shouted making Thor turn around to face her. 

"Do send him my love in return" Loki quipped startling Sif. 

"You" she seethed. "I should have guessed you wouldn't remain dead for long" she stepped up to Loki and dug the hilt of her sword into his stomach. He doubled over in pain groaning as he failed to stand upright. 

"Sif enough he has been through hell" Thor tugged on her hand before she could give another blow. The guards all had their swords brandished and were closing in fast sealing the three of them in a semicircle giving them no room to move. 

"Speaking of Hel" Fandral exclaimed carrying a squirming and exhausted looking Hel in his grasp, her feet dangling above the floor. "Isn't this one of Loki's. I bet you anything he's behind this." He pushed through the crowd and came face to face with the man himself who scowled down at him. "Oh there you are" he smiled cheerfully slapping Loki round the arm in a playful gesture. 

"Release my daughter" Loki shouted earning himself another slap from Fandral this time across the face. Loki's head snapped backwards causing him to hit the wall. 

"He's not fighting back" Fandral questioned relaxing his stance a bit. "I could get used to this new Loki" he joked dropping Hel back to her feet. 

"Where's Alana" Thor asked Hel. 

"It's Alayna" Loki moaned hating everyone in his vicinity right now. How could he have been so foolish as to think he'd receive help from Asgard. 

"What do we so now" Sif asked Thor noticing the guards were not standing down but getting closer. Still unsure of what to do but decision time was fast approaching. 

"You mean you're with me" Thor asked smiling glad he had the extra support when it seemed all of Asgard wanted his brother dead. Again. 

"Well I could hardly fight against you could I. We have your reputation to uphold and being beaten by a girl would surely shatter it." Sif smirked at Fandral. He coughed loudly to break her stare. 

"First we need to find Alayna then we get to the bifröst". Thor pointed out knocking back a few guards who had stepped too close for his comfort. 

"And we get out of this how" Fandral asked noticing the guards stretched far down the corridors in both directions. 

"Like this" Hel shouted picking up a sword that lay at her feet and stabbing the window behind them. Glass shattered outwards letting a strong wind rush through the open hole. She climbed onto the ledge and peered out with a worried looking Loki behind her. 

"I told you to be brave not to be reckless" He shouted over the wind letting Sif take care of the guards that tried to take a swipe at his throat. Just wait till I am strong again he thought to himself.

"Same difference" she shouted back climbing out of the window and jumping. Everyone's hearts died in their mouths as they watched the young girl disappear from sight. Loki sauntered forwards and peered through a tiny section of glass which remained in the frame. He saw her sliding down the roof with a sword held high up in the air. Her hair whipped behind her crating a balck blur as she sped down the smooth surface. 

"Thor" Loki screamed shoving his brother with what little energy he had left out the window after his daughter. He was closely followed by Sif then Fandral who at the last second decided to pick Loki up and throw him out of the window. Against his better judgement he may have thrown him harder than necessary but Loki wasn't the one who had to deal with a grieving Thor for the past five months. In his opinion he had earned the pain he just received.

The all slid down the side of the palace, the steep slopes perfect for gaining speed away from their pursuers.

Despite the rush of wind in his ears Thor heard a high pitch whistle coming from in front of him. He watched as one of the small boats rose up from underneath where the flowing roofs ended and Hel land in a heap in the centre.

The all fell awkwardly in a massive pile in the boat as it sped off away form the place closely followed by a dozen more boats much larger than the one they were riding in. 

"How" Fandral asked as he and Sif got up to face non other than Volstagg. They both gave him a discerning look as he shrugged his shoulders. 

"She was cute" he smile pointing to the little girl who was leaning over the side gazing down at her reflection in the small river they were flying over. Loki shuffled over to sit by her gently placing a hand on her back. It was mainly for his peace of mind that she would not fall over the edge but even he doubted his strength at the moment. 

"There is another one" Fandral moaned realising who the girl was. Thor raised an eyebrow and was about to answer when Sif interrupted them. 

"Questions later fighting now" as she pointed to the incoming fleet of boats which were geared up to start shooting at them. 

"I really like Asgard" Hel commented sarcastically as she slumped over to the front of the boat. "I feel welcome here" 

Volstagg steered them in a zig zag pattern ducking under pillars and weaving in and out of houses and buildings. They managed to loose a few but they were quickly replaced by more who were able to keep up with their constant turning and dives. they all remained low in the boat hoping to avoid most of the shots which were being fired at them. The boat shook and shuddered with every hit and splinters flew around them as they rocked to and fro, Volstagg trying to stabilize the boat each time.

As they approached the rainbow bridge they were flanked by at least twenty bigger boats all gaining speed as they slowed down. 

"Volstagg" Thor yelled aware that they were heavily outnumbered and running out of time. 

"Sif, Fandral. Hold on" Volstagg bellowed yanking the lever upwards and tipping the boat upside down. Hel and Alayna screamed as the boat flipped quickly and they started to fall. Their arms scrabbled around for purchase in the air as they started spinning. Sif and Fandral held on to the sides. The three of them dangling from the boat. They watched as Thor and Loki joined the two falling girls as they got closer to the bridge. 

Thor reached out and grabbed Hel. She hugged him tightly still screaming slightly as Thor started flying towards the Bifröst with alarming speed. Loki grabbed Alayna as they spun through the air and wrapped her up with his own body shielding her from most of the impact. They rushed towards the bridge and landed with a large thud which sent shudders through his body. Loki began to stand up when he was picked up by Thor who warped his arms around them both and held on tightly. He could hear the whirring of more boats and warming up guns as he closed his eyes and hoped this was all a bad dream. His head was throbbing with every bang and crash of the guns and his vision was blurry.

They landed in the entrance to the Bifröst where Heimdal had already opened the portal. 

"Is everyone ok" he asked looking at a very disheveled Loki who merely stared at him in return. 

"As far as I know" Thor bellowed us seeing everyone forwards towards the portal but mostly carrying Loki as his head slumped against Thor's shoulder. 

"I am doing this for you and no one else" Heimdal added as the two stepped through. 

"And for that I thank you" Thor smiled dragging Loki through the portal. "I'll be back for the girls. Protect them." And with that they were pulled through the portal and down to earth. Though Loki didn't know their destination yet, Thor hoped he wouldn't realise too soon. After all, he wasn't all that welcome after his last visit.


	3. When life slows down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am terrible at beginnings but I hope you continue this with me! I will keep writing no matter what! I have so much planned I am taking time to go back over chapters adding in detail and trying not to rush the chapters. Enjoy :)

A bright light shattered around them and his heart was left on the ground as they shot upwards through the atmosphere. Stars and colours streamed past them as their destination materialised around them. When they landed Thor helped Loki perch against a large rock then flew up into the air once more with a loud clap of thunder which rocked the ground. 

The bright light faded and was replaced with a dim cast of the moon. Loki stared up at the chalky orb in the sky and laughed to himself. Thor had bought him to Midgard. Of all the realms, he bought him to the one who hated him most.

As best he could he propped himself up to take a look around. He was sat on a small beach with pebbles and shells of all different sizes littering the shore till they reached a large expanse of woodland behind. A subtle breeze whipped the branches and his hair as he laid still against the rock breathing in the salty air of the sea which calmly lapped at the beach. 

For the first time in what felt like a lifetime Loki relaxed. He let his body slump against the rock and tipped his head back till he was staring up at the cloudy sky. When he wasn't trying to sit up the ache he felt all over wasn't nearly as prominent. He breathed deeply over and over. Just breathing. As he listened to the waves crash and hush over the stones dragging the down along the beach when the tide went out. 

He felt the breeze tug at his cape and hair, not even bothering to remove the strand or two which fell over his face. For all he despised, Midgard it seemed oddly appropriate that it should be here that he should first stop and think. For as much as he hated this realm he knew Alayna would be safe here. Whilst he was in this condition he needed all the help he could get to protect his daughter. Sure Hel would help him but Loki still doubted where she stood in all this. If it came down to it he was sure Hel would abandon even Alayna if a better offer arose. 

Just as he was getting into deep territory his peace was shattered as Thor returned carrying one screaming child and a hysterically laughing teenager. Hel skipped over to Loki as soon as they had landed and settled herself next to him on the rock. She brought her legs up to her chest and rested her chin in the gap. 

"Tiring work escaping isn't it" she beamed not looking nearly as beaten as Loki did. This annoyed him slightly considering she had taken several blows to the head and was left with barely a scratch. 

He drew his attention to Alayna though who didn't seem overly fond of flying with Thor. She kicked and wriggled her way out of Thor's grasp landing awkwardly on the floor at his feet. Thor bent down to help her up but she scurried away from him like a cat. 

"No no I am not flying anywhere else" she moaned crawling up the beach to lie in between Loki and Hel who shuffled closer together. Thor smiled, amused by the young girl as she took in surroundings. 

She shivered slightly against the breeze and her teeth chattered. Unlike Hel she was wearing clothes typical to those of Asgardian men. She wore trousers which were ripped in serval places and stopped half way up her calf in a jagged line. She was wearing only a long top which fell past her waist yet had no sleeves. Around her waist was a large brown belt with a small loop for holding a sword though she had no sword. Looking at Loki and Hel who were both staring down at her affectionately. 

Loki his wrapped his un-injured arm around her and draped the loose end of his cape around her body. She snuggled against him and stared out over the shoreline towards the sky. Thor sulked awkwardly up the beach and removed his cape. He rested it upon a now fast asleep Hel who had spread out on the stones in a star shape. Thor and Loki remained awake as they watched the two girls sleep. Loki never once took his arm from around Alayna as they watched the sea retreat back into the ocean.

"Perhaps now you will tell me what I rescued you for" Thor asked in his 'quiet voice'. 

"How much would you like to know" Loki replied a smirk playing on his lips. 

"So far I know Thanos took something of yours. I am guessing that thing was Alayna. And that in your escape he did this to you" Thor gestured to the remaining bruising and cuts that scattered Loki's body. Though he was healing the three deep cuts still remained rendering that arm useless. 

"Then you know why you rescued me" Loki sighed closing his eyes once more. Though he did not sleep he felt replenished when his eyes were closed. And with the feeling of his daughters beside him it made the healing all the more bearable. 

"Brother I have betrayed the all-father for you and your daughters. The least you could do is give me a full explanation"

"Because it's the first time you have ever gone against precious father isn't it" Loki mused. 

"Loki" Thor growled. 

"Very well" he gave in. "After the last time I was on this planet Thanos didn't take too kindly to my being banished. I was a fool to think he could never hold anything against me. I believed that till he found Alayna". 

"Where was she prior to this" Thor asked pointing out the fact that she wasn't a toddler but a young girl. 

"She was under the care of Hel till around a year ago when Thanos found her. Being only young herself Hel had no power and lost Alayna to him. That's when she came to me and I went to Thanos."

"Why did you never tell me about her" Thor questioned, upset that his brother had not told him of another child. 

"And risk Odin finding out about her" Loki asked raising an eyebrow at Thor. 

"You think I would betray you" Thor asked. "After I have proven my loyalty to you time again" he remained staring out onto the horizon too hurt to meet his brothers stare. 

"How long have you been with her" Thor asked after an awkward silence which seemed to stretch for hours. 

"I have been with her around two thirds of her life. The remained was spent alone with Hel so I fear how she would react to most situations."

"She seemed to cope fine with being hunted by all of Asgard." Thor joked staring down at her. She twitched silently in her sleep, her eyes fluttering open and closed slightly. 

"I haven't been with her for the last three years of her life." Loki sighed his voice full of regret. "I know not of what she has become"

They spoke no more as the sun broke past the waves waking the sleeping figures from their slumber. Hel was the first to sit up, rubbing her eyes free of the cloud as she looked around. 

"She's still asleep" she gasped looking down at Alayna who was starting to stir as the sunlight got brighter. 

"Why" Thor asked picking up his cape and clipping it back onto his shoulders. He brushed off some of the sand and straightened it out behind him. An old trait he had from back before the avengers and he still planned to be a naive king with no proper knowledge if life at all. He was ashamed of who he used to be to say the least as he pondered on these thoughts. 

"She has never slept through an entire night before. She is always woken by nightmares" Hel pondered moving over to crouch by Alayna's head. She stroked the loose hair out of her eyes just as they fluttered open, squinting in the sudden light. 

"Nightmares" Loki repeated worriedly moving over slightly so she could stretch out. "For how long has she been having these"?

"Since the night you left" Hel replied earnestly picking herself up and moving towards the shoreline. 

Alayna yawed loudly causing Thor to laugh and Loki shoot a glare in his direction. She sat up quickly crossing her legs making Thor jump slightly. 

"Morning" Loki chuckled pushing up off the rock. He had had enough of sitting around and wanted more than anything than to get off of this planet. He was sure if the rest of his brothers 'team' were to find he had returned they wouldn't be so easy on him this time. He gave himself the once over counting only nine noticeable bruises now and the three muscle deep cuts left to heal. With help from Thor he got to his feet and held out his palm conjuring an apple from thin air. It was slow to form but he managed it eventually after a little too much pain for comfort. He found it hard to channel his magic and even harder to actually use it. It was like his magic was seeping out of unknown cracks instead of flowing through his veins like it normally does. This feeling angered and frustrated him more than anything. 

He handed Alayna the apple hoping her smile would help calm him down from his inner frustrations. It always did. When she laughed it was like a bullet to the heart to think she was his, forever. Nobody could take that feeling away. His head started to spin as he tried to conjure another apple. He tried to make it smaller this time but the pain was intense. It nauseated him as he screamed in fury scaring both Alayna and Hel who was still in the groggy stage if waking up. 

"I think it is best if we stay here till you are fully healed" Thor warned watching the pain in Loki's eyes as he tried to conjure a smaller apple with difficulty. He knocked the half formed apple out of his hands and tried to force him to sit but Loki remained standing.

"Thor I am not a child I do not need your help to stand" he spat annoyed that deep down a voice was telling him that he did need Thor's help. That voice was the same voice that tried to tell him to stop lying to Thor when he was banished and to stop fighting when in New York. Steadily the voice was growing louder with time and getting harder and harder to ignore no matter how hard he tried to bury it. 

He planted one foot in front of the other but that was as far as he got before his head started to spin. The dull throbbing absorbed his thoughts as his vision became white around the edges. All he could mange was a groan as he felt himself fall back before the world went dark.


	4. Skipping stones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the quick succession of chapters today. I am on half term at the moment and so have noting better to fill my time with than writing these chapters. All reviews welcome and I hope you are still enjoying reading this :)

"Wake up sleepy head" 

Were the words Loki woke up to. He was led on top of a green cape with a red one draped over his body. He sat up slowly, propping himself up on his elbows as he looked at Hel who was sat next to him smirking back at him. 

"How long" Loki asked shaking away the last of the shadows across his vision. 

"Three hours" Came a booming voice from further down the beach. "gave Alayna quite the scare. You almost landed on her" Thor chuckled racing up to help his brother up for sure this time. Loki was a lot steadier on his feet now and was able to walk slowly down to the shore when Alayna was stood throwing pebbles into the ocean.

"Thanos really gave you a beating" she exclaimed not turning around as he stepped behind her. 

"That he did little one" he replied watching as she tried to skip a stone but only managed to make bigger splashes each time. Despite being wobbly he tea mined standing with an over helpful Thor standing just millimetres away. "It's easier if you use a flat stone" Loki smiled bending down to pick up one such stone. Despite the sudden rush to the head he stood up confidently. He didn't want his daughter to think she was unsafe by her father not being able to protect her. He stepped alongside her and flicked it away from him making an impressive eight skips. 

"Wow" Alayna giggled picking up another stone. "Can uncle Thor do that"? She asked, beaming up at her father. 

"Well your uncle was more the type for smashing rocks than skipping them"

"Nonsense brother" Thor boomed. "I am sure I can 'skip' a stone as you call it" he added proudly. He bent down and plucked a stone from the beach. As he launched it into the ocean he succeeded in creating the biggest splash yet drenching both Loki and Alayna. The difference being he received laughter from one and a glare from the other. He frowned, annoyed that Loki was also chuckling to himself slightly now that he had dried himself off using magic. Alayna stood there with darker hair thanks to the amount of water and was once again shivering. 

"Like I said the smashing rocks type" Loki smiled resting a hand on her shoulder and instantly drying her clothes. She giggled again picking up another stone. Loki held out his palm in front of her. 

"Place it in my hand" Loki said ignoring the concerned face he received from Thor. He squeezed the stone in his palm and felt the softness of his magic seep into it. He waiting for the nausea to return and when it did not he smiled proudly down at her. 

"Try it now" he exclaimed raising an eyebrow at Thor in anticipation. Alayna threw her arm forwards and sent the stone skipping far out into the ocean till it faded from view. A look of awe was plastered over the little girls face as Thor stood their bewildered. 

"Hel come on and try this" Alayna called over to Hel who was lying down on Loki's cloak apparently sleeping again. 

"I'm okay" she called back not sitting up but instead turning over onto her front blocking out her family even more. She would do anything to be alone again with Alayna. She liked it when it was just the two of them alone with no adults to take charge and protect them. She didn't need protecting anyways she had managed fine on her own till Thanos had shown up. 

"She'll come around" Thor told her trying once again to skip a stone but failing miserably. In the end he took to seeing how far out he could throw them instead. Alayna frowned looking back up the beach towards her sister before facing back out to sea and watching the incoming waves. Every so now and again Loli would pass her another stone and they would all take a minute or so to watch it skip out onto the horizon. 

"I like it here" she said after a while, breaking the silence between the older brothers. 

"Well it's just as well we are here for another night then" replied Thor pulling her down to sit on his lap. She laughed hysterically as he tickled her and laughed himself as he dodged her flying arms. 

"Thor a word" Loki stared down at him, his expression blank. He didn't wait for a response as he started walking up towards the back of the beach and disappeared into the foliage. Thor shuttered his shoulders at Alayna as e kicked her up effortlessly and swung her up to lay her by Hel who acknowledge her with a thumbs up. Thor checked once more on the girls before following Loki into the forest. 

"I am not staying here another night" Loki said a bitter edge to his voice. "Please, by the time the sun sets I want to be as far away from this realm as possible." Thor stood there taken aback at his brothers sudden outburst. 

"Loki this is madness speaking from within you again. Do you not recall just hours ago when you were lying on your back as you could not even stand. You are still too weak and I will not allow anyone on this beach to leave till I see fit" Thor raised his voice making Loki turn away in anger. 

"We are sat on a Midgardian beach skipping stones whilst Thanos grows stronger and his army grows larger" they were stood in a large clearing with nothing around them. Thor could no longer see the beach and that worried him. 

"Loki please try to see sense. At least give it one more day" Thor pleaded as Loki turned back around to face him. The cuts in his arm were still visible and looked red and raw. Thor tried one last time to ease Loki's mind "Not many humans know of this place let alone Thanos. Whilst you still cannot use all of your magic I beg of you to stay here" 

Loki looked his brother in the eye reluctantly accepting the fact that Thor was right. Whilst he was in this state he could not possibly protect himself let alone his daughters. 

"One more day Thor. But only because I am unable to escape myself. Then I want to be long gone from this place." Loki seethed, trudging back out of the forest around tree trunks and bushes. 

"Why does she need so much protection" Thor asked wondering why Loki was concerned in his current state. Even now Thor was sure he would able to take down anyone who stepped too close. What could possibly make him need to be stronger. 

"You remember that time when Hel was a small child. Much younger than Alayna is now" Loki began. Looking over his shoulder to check Thor was still there. "When she got hold of the Casket of Ancient Winters and froze half of the palace" Loki remembered fondly a smile playing across his lips at the memory of seeing Odin trying to rectify the problem. 

"Loki that was when people first started fearing your offspring" Thor jested also laughing at the memory. Though he had been charge with getting rid of the ice it brought a new way of fun into he palace for months on end. With a winter feast and regular ice skating gatherings. It made Asgard that little bit more magical if only for a short while. 

"Well I fear Alayna posses powers of similar intensity." Loki replied Solemnly. 

"Meaning" 

"I recon she could freeze all of Asgard if the Casket fell within reach" he clarified. Looking back over at Thor who had stopped dead in his tracks. 

"Is that why Thanos seeks her" Thor asked his only answer being a nod of the head from Loki as they emerged back onto the beach. Thor realised their talk was over and quickly resumed his normal cheery complexion as he approached the two girls who were sat up talking to each other. 

"Hello" Hel smiled sensing something had just occurred between the two brothers. She took a few deep breaths before staring at Thor whilst he was busy talking to Alayna. She breathed in through the nose and out through the mouth steadying her breathing and lowering her heart rate till it was little more than a flutter. She closed her eyes shut tightly blocking out all light as she focused on reading her uncles mind. She had just started to sift through the first thoughts when a hand on her shoulder pulled her from her daydream. She looked up to see Loki silently shaking his head. She huffed crossly as she turned away from the others and scowled at anything that entered her view be it a bird or the setting sun. 

That evening Thor lit a fire and they all huddled close to keep warm. Alayna fell asleep for a short while nestled in Loki's lap whilst Thor played absent mindlessly with Hel's hair. He couldn't get over how much she looked like Loki. Same hair same face shape. Same personality as well. Stubborn and strong minded. A dangerous balance for any individual to have. As the tide came in they retreated back up to the forest where the two girls perched on large rock. 

Behind her she listened and watched as Loki fashioned four hammocks out of some rope he was able to conjure. Though his magic was limited he remembered a few spells which would see then through a comfortable night. He and Thor tied them to the large trees that marked the border between forest and stones, Testing each one to see if it would hold. Satisfied with their work Thor led down and lazily swung himself using his foot and before too long he was snoring loudly. Alayna giggled sleepily as Loki picked her up. He set her down in his makeshift bed and kissed her forehead.

"There's one for you as well" He called out to Hel before fading away himself. 

Out of spite she tried to make the beach as comfortable as possible. She didn't need her father or Thor to care for her. But after half an hour of tossing and turning she creeped up to the woodland and clambered into her hammock. She rocked it gently hating herself for giving in. She looked over to see Loki smirking in her direction. So he wasn't asleep after all she thought to herself. 

"Whatever" she chimed rolling over and staring out into the woodland beyond. She would have the last laugh. She always did.


	5. Shattered peace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like I had slowed down the pace too much after the dramatic start so this chapter speeds ups again! Sorry if this seems all over the place but this is my first works so bare with me and I'm sure I'll get there eventually! Please feel free to comment on thing's you like, things you hate. I really want to know how I can improve my writing. Thanks :)

They woke the next morning to a high tide and cloudy skies, a large contrast to that of the day before. Loki swung his legs over the side of the hammock and looking around at his family. As he sat in silence bar the splashing of the waves he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright, pricking his skin and waking him to full alert. He darted his head around looking through the trees but all he aw were leaves and bushes. He checked once more on Alayna and Hel who both were still In deep sleep. Alayna was muttering nonsenses to herself and twitching again, Traits that he and Thor had both learned to accept as normal since Hel didn't seem to notice any different behaviour in her sister. As he rubbed his face wondering if the recent events had damaged him more than he thought her heard a twig snap close by. He swung round so fast he jogged the tree waking Thor who groaned as he lent off the side.

"Thor there is someone else here" Loki whispered climbing out of bed to wake Hel. Thor woke up then and was out of his bed like a flash with Mjolnir held tightly in his grip. They both gazed around waiting for any sign of movement but none came. 

"Are you sure" Thor questioned but still didn't lower his guard. Something had startled Loki and whatever it was didn't bode well with him either. As Loki moved to wake Alayna Thor spotted a person in the trees.

"There" he yelled sprinting off in search of the figure. Meanwhile Loki hurriedly woke Alayna picking her up and grabbing Hel's hand. he gripped them both tightly as they ran through the woods dogging trees and tripping on occasional roots. Loki noticed figure after figure amongst the trees as he ran closely behind Thor. 

"Nobody knows about this place" Loki screamed "that's what you said"

"Nobody does" Thor responded making Loki see red.

"Is that why we're surrounded" he asked bitterly ducking under another branch and lifting Hel over a large root sticking out of the floor. 

"Its SHIELD" Thor bellowed noticing a gap in the trees up ahead and sprinting forwards. Loki risked a glance back to see a dozen agents or so chasing after them. He swore under his breath and mustered all his energy to speed up. Hel was gasping for breath behind him as he dragged her behind but he knew he couldn't slow down with out being caught.

"Thor get Hel" he shouted making the Asgardian turn around. He stood still till Loki had reached him then he lifted her into the air and resumed running. This must be a walk in the park for him, Loki thought to himself as he felt the first signs of exhaustion start to cloud his mind. It really was too soon. Thor showed no signs of slowing as they reached the edge of the forest. Beyond the trees Loki could only see grey sky ahead. They were about to be trapped he thought to himself as he adjusted his grip on Alayna who was cowering into his chest as he ran. They broke through the trees and out into a large open field of short grass. With nowhere to run and no where to hide they slowed their pace as both Thor and Loki approached the row upon row of armed agents all with red laser sights pointed directly at their head and chest. Loki looked down to see Alayna's face, pale with fear and illuminated with a red glow from the fifty or so guns that were aimed at his heart. 

"It's going to be ok sweetie" Loki whispered. "I promise". He strode alongside Thor following his lead as he marched towards the agents with a fierce look on his face.

"It is I Thor Odinson" Thor bellowed "Lower your weapons we mean no harm by being here". His voice seemed to fall on deaf ears as not one of the agents lowered or even moved their weapons. A thick fog filled the field shadowing everything below the ankles. The grass was still wet from the cold morning air and a rough wind blew across the centre. All that could be heard above the whistle of the wind was a distant chopping sound coming from overhead. Within seconds the noise was deafening as the Helicarrier appeared in sight as it flew over the trees and came to a stop , hovering over the field. Their cloaks billowed out behind them and their hair was whipped across their face as several platforms began to lower. 

"Thor" Loki urgently called out again. "Now's not the time to plan just take action". As the platforms lowered Thor spotted several guns attached to four of them and an all to familiar figure hanging onto another one

"Who the hell is that" Hel screamed over the sound of the engines. Thor put Hel down as he adjusted his grip on Mjolnir. 

"That would be Nicholas Fury" Thor responded noticing two rather large lasers aim them selves at his head. He turned around to see Loki still cradling Alayna in his arms. he was speaking softly to her though Thor could not make out what he was saying. Just then Fury's voice rang out across the field.

"You are in possession of a very dangerous weapon" he stated, no emotion in his voice. "Hand it over or else I will be forced to fire"

Thor looked over at Loki before placing Mjolnir down on the floor and stepping over to Loki. Guards moved in from all around, Enclosing them in a tight circle twenty men deep in any direction.

"Father" Hel whimpered as the guards closed in slowly, red dots danced around their bodies from all angles. Loki highly doubted he would survive such an ambush at this time but he tried to keep his fear concealed from the bundle that was in his arms.

"I have dropped the weapon now stand down" Thor ordered pacing around the other three.

"There is a much more powerful weapon next to you" Fury Barked. In that second a high pitched scream shattered the air, loud enough for even Thor to cover his ears. Loki whipped around to see a guard clutching onto Hel's neck in a vice like grip, pushing his gun deep into her back causing her to arch forwards onto her tip toes. Tears dripped down her cheeks soaking her t-shirt as she struggled to regain control of her breathing. She kept screaming despite the gun and went limp in the agents grip.

"What's happened" Thor yelled as Loki looked startled and hit the floor covering Alayna with his body.

"Get down" Loki screamed making Thor instantly drop to the ground. As the words 'Fire' left Fury's mouth a blue wave of energy pulsed out of Hel's body knocking the agent to the floor with the breath squeezed out of him and his eyes bulging in their sockets as he struggled to take in air. The force kept pulsating outwards cutting down agent after agent as Hel continued screaming. Fury stared down in disbelief as he watched an entire regiment fall to their knees clutching at their throats and chests. He didn't bother signalling for back up or alerting the council, He simply flicked a switch on the pole he was holding onto and watched as four darts were fired out from underneath the Helicarrier and towards their targets. Loki crawled over to Hel staying beneath the beams of energy which were exploding out of her chest. Her eyes were distant and her screams only lingered, nothing compared to the previous ferocity. he looked down realising the agent who had grabbed her was dead. With an added sinking feeling he tried to reach out to his daughter.

"Hel, Hel look at me sweetie" Loki smiled staring deep into his daughters eyes. "You can stop now sweetie, we're going to be ok" he breathed heavily with the lack of air as he tried to reach his daughter who was locked away deep inside herself. "Hel I know you are in there you can come out now" Loki added desperate to make it end. It had to end.

"I can stop now" Hel breathed deeply a sense of depth returning back to her eyes as her body relaxed slightly. Her eyes flickered down to meet Loki's and he smiled back up at her. 

"I'm proud of you" he beamed receiving a smile back. The energy faltered and started to retreat back inside her. He caught her as she collapsed into his arms shaken from her loss of control. "you are ok now sweetie I've got you" he whispered. Too preoccupied with Hel, Loki failed to notice the tranquilizer that found its way into the back of her neck. She slumped forwards into his arms just as his own dart found its mark. His vision turned to vivid purple and green swirls as he slurred his speach trying to call out to Thor. His last vision was that of Fury marching over and picking up Hel. He could only lay there and listen as he felt his own body be picked up and carried inside the Hellicariier to await whatever S.H.I.E.L.D had in store for him and his family.


	6. Confinement.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alayna's POV of the events which unravel on the Helicarrier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry it took me Longer to put this chapter up! I went through a few drafts before I found one I was happy with. Please leave reviews and comments on how I can improve my work or keep it the same if you like it! Thank you :)

Alayna could hear noises before she could see them. There was a high pitch ringing in her ears that pierced her mind. Her eyes felt heavy and she had to force them open but even then they only only opened half way. 

Any sounds she could hear sounded distant and muffled. There was a dull beeping and quiet voices. She could sense people moving around her, touching her arms and shining a bright light occasionally in her eyes. She couldn't see enough to tell whether it was day or night and there were no obvious signs in the small slither of room she could see. 

Some time later, she didn't know how long it was, She felt the surface she was led on vibrate and she started to feel slightly sick with the feeling of moving yet not being able to see it. She tried to roll over, to move her head, something to give her a wider view of her surroundings but nothing worked. Her neck felt rigid and tight as she strained to glance round. When she thought she had managed it she felt cold fingers on her forehead snapping it back upright painfully. 

She tried to moan, to scream out but it was like she had no voice. She couldn't even hear if she was making any sound herself so she soon abandoned trying. She wanted desperately to see Hel again. To hold her hand or hug her father. To be told she was ok and that she hadn't reached Vallaha. 

The movement stopped and her head slowly calmed down. She felt more cold hands grip her legs and arms as she was lifted into the air. It felt like she was floating and it made her head spin again. She was laid down on a much harder surface which dug into her bones and made her head fall to the side awkwardly crushing her ear. 

She felt her hand slip over the side and a numbness overwhelming her wrist. Her line of vision covered a room so white and clean she couldn't tell where the corners of the room were nor where the walls reached the ceiling. She watched as four blurry shadows left through a door. There was a hissing sound as the door closed and blended in with the wall. If she could not feel herself lying down it would appear she was floating in nothingness. 

There were no tiles or chips in paintwork to break up the blank beyond which gave the illusion of a never ending space. All she could do was lie there waiting for her body to catch up with her mind not knowing how long it would take. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Reed I want you on call with the older one" Fury ordered a young agent who nodded and jogged down the corridor towards the confinement facility. He turned his attention to the two older agents left in his office. 

"Coulson, Hill, you two have sole charge on the child". The agents nodded their understanding. "As soon as she begins to stir I want you in there understand" 

"Yes sir" they replied in unison. 

"What is being done about Loki" Hill asked. 

"I figured I'd let his brother take care of him" Fury stated dismissing the two agents. The sooner Loki was off earth the better. He could not let the council find out he had returned. He sat down in his large chair and swivelled it back and forth staring out of the large window behind his desk. The clouds glided past as they sped towards New York. He would feel a lot less on edge once they were safely on the ground. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Coulson and Hil walked alongside each other through the corridors. They scanned their cards as they entered lock down and were let in by a nervous looking agent. 

"Had trouble"? Hill asked pausing slightly as they entered. 

"Don't underestimate them" the agent replied shakily turning his back away from them and hurriedly shutting the door closed behind them. She exchanged a look with Coulson but he seemed completely at ease with the situation so she followed his lead. After all he had survived through much worse than this. 

"I cannot believe Fury has us on baby sitting duty" He muttered punching in an access code to Alayna's holding cell. They stepped through silently and moved into a corner out of her line of vision. 

"Id rather be with this one than the older one" Hill replied. As she looked down at the small child she felt a sudden wave of sadness rush over her. She had been placed on a metal slab in the centre of the room. No pillow no blanket. Nothing. Her skin was black with grime and her clothes were ripped and torn. From this angle she could see the small hole in her neck where the tranquilliser had entered and there was a line of dried blood which had stained her neck. 

"It's horrible" She sighed opting to look away. Coulson also looked away and they both lent against the wall staring at the cluttered floor beneath their feet. Around the 'bed' were row upon row of plants and flowers in pots. They were scarily bright compared to the blank canvas they sat in. The first row encircled the bed in the same rectangle shape then the rows got bigger till they stopped just before the agents feet. Blues and pinks, oranges and yellows. A disconnected rainbow littered the floor and enhanced the feeling of abnormality within the confined space. There were no windows just a single camera in the corner which had a view of every inch of space. 

According to Fury the plants acted as an indicator as to how far the 'death energy' (as some agents were calling it) reached. If it came down to it each row would start to die giving the occupants of the room a chance to get out before becoming caught in the beam. 'Fool proof' Fury had called it though Hill doubted that very much. 

"Are we even sure she has the same powers" Hill commented not looking up. 

"To be honest I'm just grateful Fury gave us this much protection." Coulson raised his eyes to meet a green pair staring back at him. Alayna had sat up silently and was staring back at them, her body still jelly like but enough to hold her up. 

"Jesus" Hill shouted jumping back into Coulson. He laughed as he took a step over the plants and towards her. 

"Hi there" he smiled crouching down beside her. She smiled back as best she could. It was more of a twitch at the sides of her mouth. 

"Hve yow snn my daaad" she slurred quietly. 

"Your dad's with us. He is safe" Coulson responded not taking his eyes off of her. 

"Nd Hel" she asked again her voice high like she was holding back tears. 

"Open the door" Coulson directed at Hill. She was hesitant at first but soon slid her hand over a pressure point and the door slid open revealing the corridor beyond. "See that door, she's through there"

Alayna nodded her head, it lolled to the side slightly but she soon corrected it. Her tongue was tingling and her chest felt heavy. She was so uncomfortable.

They were making good progress till a loud banging started abruptly across the hall. Hill slipped out and peered through the window that showed the room Hel was being kept in.

Reed was pounding on the door furiously, shouts for help ringing out across the whole floor of the Carrier. Red lights shattered the air, a dull alarm drowning out his cries. 

"Shit" Coulson swore getting up and trying to shut the door. The Helicarrier had been put into lockdown. No doors would open of close till the alarms turned off. Coulson could hear stomping approaching and opted to standing in the door frame to try and block the view. 

Hill was on the other side desperately trying to calm Reed down. She looked over at Coulson as thirty armed agents barged through the corridor and pushed Coulson out of the door frame. They lifted their guns to face Alayna. 

She sat there frozen in fear as she stared back at her emotionless killers. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Her head was swarming with alarms and stomping, the smell of burning filled her nostrils, over powering her senses. 

She looked over at Coulson who was stood with his arm outstretched towards the gunmen. She could feel herself slipping away. It was all becoming too much for her. 

"Hel" she called out seeing the door slide open behind the men. They adjusted their grips on their triggers at her sudden outburst which made Coulson tense up for what might happen. "Hel" she whimpered again trying to see past the blockade. 

That was when she heard it. Three gunshots. She closed her eyes yet found she was able to open them again. The men still stood with their guard up, she still sat in the room. "Hel" she called worriedly, Wanting a response. "Why was there gunfire" she asked Coulson who simply looked away from the small child who was now hugging her legs. "Hel" she screamed as the door slid shut sealing them inside the room. 

Coulson dived over to the door slamming his palms on the smooth surface. That shouldn't have happened, the doors should still be open. System override? He asked himself. Not possible when Fury can see everything going on. That was when Coulson looked down. At the flowers. The bright colours dazzling to see. Now withered and black. Dead. 

He sighed with realisation as he watched the dying flowers decay before his eyes till the last row, his last line of protection, Started to wither and shrivel up into black pools of ash. 

"Shit" he muttered again.


	7. Everything went dark.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The same events on the Helicarrier from Hel's POV.

Her arms were bound high above her head, stretching out her muscles tightly. She was sat leaning against the wall, plants of all variety spread out in front of her. 

She sighed deeply. Somehow she knew her father would not be coming for her. She doubted whether Thor would come to her aid if his brother was also in trouble. That's when her thoughts drifted to Alayna. Her poor little sister. If she hadn't have been so careless she never would have gotten her into this mess. She sighed heavily as she pondered. They were happy before Thanos showed up, better off even. It was just the two of them. Her and her sister, alone from the chaos of the nine realms. 

She had kept them safe, kept then out of the way just as Loki had asked. Alayna had grown up knowing only what she needed to know. That was the way her and her father had agreed. Tell her the facts only when a situation demanded it. She had never fully understood why Loki had kept her hidden. It seemed strange that everyone knew about herself yet could be standing in the same room as Alayna and not even know where she came from. 

But that was what her father had set out to accomplish over the years he was away. And who was she to argue with him. She kicked out annoyed at herself for slipping into the daydream. She hated having time to just think. It led to too many questions and too many emotions resurfacing. She tried desperately to bury the sick feeling within her but it kept rising, threatening to over spill and consume her. 

Despite being old enough to live without him she still wanted to be with him. To know she wasn't completely in charge. That there was someone else around who could make everything better. It was then the door slid open and a man stepped in. She couldn't help but be thankful for the rude interruption to her thoughts. Any deeper and she would have entered the parts of her mind she'd rather keep closed. 

He was nervous. It didn't take long to notice the sheen of sweat clinging to his forehead or the twitch of his fingers as he closed the door. She smirked to herself. This is going to be fun she thought.

He cautiously stepped over the plants till he was one row away. He took a deep breath and stepped over the pots careful not to move them. In his hand was a small box which he was gripping tightly. As he crouched down beside her he lifted the lid and removed a long needle. 

It was then that she tensed. She had only ever been ill in Asgard where they didn't need to touch your body in order to fix you. He gave her an awkward smile in an attempt to calm her. He had heard her breathing stop when he lent closer and had to try and stop a smile spreading across his face. Here he was thinking he was walking into his death when really he was only sat with a girl not much younger than himself who was scared of a needle. Pathetic he though to himself as he steadied her arm. 

"We only need a little drop of blood" he pointed out lining the sharp point up with a large vein running down the side of her arm. It was pulsing beneath her skin in panic as he touched her with the cold metal. It was going to hurt her unless she relaxed. He was about to tell her to calm down but acted otherwise. 

He had had friends who had been sent to bring her in. Not one of them returned thanks to this girl bound before him. Although she wouldn't know it, he was punishing her. She kills his friends he will hurt her. He considered that a fair bargain as he pushed the needle into the vein forcefully. She let out a small scream and he pulled on the plunger filling the tube with red liquid. He was momentarily surprised at her blood being red. He expected some sort of blue mutated blood what with her being the spawn of Loki. 

Her arm grew goosebumps as he pulled the needle out. She squirmed in her bindings trying to relieve the sensation still pounding away in her arm. She glared up at Reed who just smiled down at her. She pulled slightly on cuffs around her wrists, who knew they may have come loose. Sadly they didn't and she slumped back against the wall not bothering to give the man the satisfaction of seeing her annoyance. 

She closed her eyes tightly and decided to find his weak spot. Something which would make him regret even becoming a S.H.I.E.L.D agent in the first place. With one breath she had bridges the gap into his mind. An easy gap to make for her. Everyone seemed so open nowadays. She was met with a series of locked doors. They all looked identical, large white slabs of marble adorned with wooden handles and a spy hole on each. She walked around slowly feeling each door with her finger tips before stopping outside one and raising her key. She laughed as she opened the door slowly and slipped inside. 

"Does shield know you sold information to the Russians" she asked innocently, raising her eyes as he turned around. He had almost reached the door but had paused in his tracks when she spoke. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about freak" he spat and continued stepping over the plants. Only now he was less careful and more rushed in leaving the room. 

"Sorry my mistake. You were involved in the assassination of Henry Marben weren't you" she added. 

The line of sweat across his brow returned and he stormed back over to her, leaning down till his face was a hairs inch away from hers. She remained motionless as he lifted his hand and brought it back down, hard on her cheek. Her head was pushed to the side, a loud thwack echoing across the room. It stung yes but was that really the best he could do? She was almost disappointed. 

"Freak" he seethed again and began walking back over to the door. The sooner he was gone the better. He was setting out a plan in his mind for how to get of the Helicarrier before they reached New York. He somehow suspected people already knew of the child's outbursts and soon there would be questions. 

Little did he fail to realise that as he was stepping over the flowers they were withering away beneath his shadow. Absentmindedly he placed his hand over the activation panel waiting for the door to open. Except it never did. He turned around just as the flowers closest to his feet started to turn black and a foul aroma wafted into his nostrils making him gag. He tried the door again but it remained firmly shut. 

First his head started to spin. No not just his head the whole room. Round and around making him fall about like he was drunk. His balance was awful and he kept tripping over air as he stumbled around the edges of the room. He started to get hot. Not a nice hot but a heat that made his clothes stick to him instantly. He was sweating bucket loads but used his remaining health to stagger back over to the door.

He left a trail of soil and dying flowers in his wake. Smashed pots were scattered around the floor with shards of pot sticking precariously out of the mounds or earth. He slammed his fists against the window trying to get the other agents attention. His chest constructed as he gasped for air, clutching at his throat. His face was getting redder as the blood circulation stopped, making him feel sick beyond compare. 

He continued to pound away at the window, each hit getting weaker till he barely made a sound. Just as he saw Hill approach from the other side, his body gave up. He slid down the window into a crumpled heap on the floor. His arms fell uselessly at his sides as he was forced to stare back at Hel. She sat there motionless, still in her bindings looking all to relaxed as she rested her head on her outstretched arm. She stared back as she watched his eyes close and his chest rise once before he too was motionless. 

"The world needs less men like you" she remarked closing her eyes again. That was when the alarms sounded and the all too familiar stomping of feet could be heard approaching the rooms. The door was prised open by three agents who stepped into the room and encircled her. She wasn't looking at them though. She was more concerned with the guards who were aiming their guns into the other room. 

"Alayna" she tried to call out but was quickly silenced by one of the guards. She sat there rigid wanting nothing more than to have her sister by her side. She wanted nothing more than to be able to tell her it's going to be ok. Now she really struggled against her bonds as she thrashed around on the floor pulling on her shoulder joints in an attempt to get free.

"Hel" she could hear her sister screaming out in fear. "Hel"

Tears were streaming down her face as she remembered what her father had always told her: 'be brave'. Be brave she told herself over and over but when she could hear Alayna's shouts for help she was slowly loosing her grip on those rational thoughts. As she heard the agents ready their guns she took a deep breath and tensed up against the wall. She thought of the last few days. Cuddled up with her dad and Alayna on the beach. Listening to Thor tell stories of when they were younger. It was these memories which gave her the only slither of strength she needed. 

"Do your worst" she muttered as she heard gunfire. She closed her eyes firmly shut and everything went dark.


	8. It never goes to plan.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Loki's POV of the events on the Helicarrier.

Loki paced around the outskirts of his cell looking out beyond the glass at the circular room. Below him lay the closed door which opened up to reveal a very long drop then a sudden stop. They really didn't know what to do with him Loki thought to himself as he watched Thor spin Mjolnir round in his hands lazily. 

"As much as I appreciate your company could you possibly look bored somewhere else. I'm sure Alayna and Hel would happily accept you to sit by their side". Loki sighed, leaning against the glass when he noticed Thor didn't move from his chair. 

"Be that as it may I feel having one of us free of chains would greatly benefit our escape" Thor replied, Setting the hammer down next to him. Fury had allowed Thor to guard his brother only with a promise to let him fall should Loki try anything. Thor had accepted reluctantly. He did not wish to make any agreements that could harm his brother but it was the only way to ensure they could escape together. 

"Thor please. I came to you seeking help and you have led me and my family to our imprisonment. I would really like you to go and see Alayna." He put emphasised the 'really' hoping Thor would hear it. When they were younger if one wanted to meet the other in secret they would use the word really. They never used it otherwise and Thor's eyes raised immediately to face his. He nodded and got out of his chair grabbing Mjolnir. As he left he glanced back at the cell. Loki smiled over at him as he faded from view leaving the cell empty. 

Thor took into a run, sprinting through the corridors towards the control room. He ran up flights of stairs and into the engine room. He ducked under pipes and squeezed between large tubes flowing with blue and green fluid. Effortlessly taking out two guards who ran towards him he deposited their bodies under a container. He then slipped into an office checking he was not being followed as he silently closed the door. A few moments later Loki slipped in behind him moving over to a computer which sat in the side of the room.

It was dark. The only light coming from the ten or so screens which lined one wall all showing different places aboard the Helicarrier. Thor quickly scanned the screens searching for the cells which held Alayna and Hel. He found them close together but was puzzled as to why their rooms were filled with plants. Loki simply laughed to himself when he noticed how the petty humans had tried to protect themselves. 

Loki began swiftly un-plugging every screen, each one turning black. Thor kept guard knocking out another agent who started running at him. 

"Loki hurry" Thor muttered. 

"Thor change of plan" Loki said rushing back out of the door and up the stairs. Thor stepped back into the room looking at the last remaining screen on. Hel was chained up and a panic stricken agent was pounding on the door.

"Oh Hel" he murmured to himself. Moving back over to the door. Just as he stepped out five agents rounded the corner. They froze in their tracks desperately reaching for their guns when Mjolnir came crashing down on them. Just as Thor had taken out four of them an alarm as loud as his voice sounded out from every corridor within range. He looked over to see the last guard desperately clutching at a large red lever. Thor ran forwards and slammed him into the wall rendering him unconscious.

Thor remembered part of their plan and set off in the direction of Furys office. If Loki was to get out of this one he would need all the help he could get. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Loki ran through the corridors, a sceptre forming in his hand. Similar to that which held the tesseract, this one was gold with three large spikes sticking out of the end. He reached the confinement facility and forced his way through the now un-maned door. Red lights blinded the air and he winced slightly at the infuriating alarms. What was it with this planet and the need to make even the simplest of sounds sound truly horrific. 

He rounded a corner and easily took out two of the guards. He smirked at his work but it soon faltered when he raised his head to meet a corridor teaming with agents and non other than Nick Fury himself. He huffed to himself as he adjusted his grip and prepared to fight. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Thor sat blankly at Furys desk staring at the screen in front of him. He reached out for the mouse and carefully moved it smiling to himself when the curser on the screen matched his movements. He guessed he had learned more from from being around Jane then he first thought. He proceeded to click on a small icon which brought up a long list of people's names. Though it was hard with his large hands he quickly scrolled through the names till he spotted one he recognised. He clicked the phone icon next to the name forcefully hearing a small crack. He released his grip slightly as a dialling sound rung out. 

"I swear to god this better be important" Starks voice rang out loud and clear through the speakers making Thor jump slightly. He lent down to the microphone before speaking into it. 

"Man of iron tis I Thor" he announced proudly. 

"Jesus Thor get away form the mic" stark whined as a loud voice bellowed through the speakers. 

"Apologies Tony"

"Don't worry about it big guy. So why are you calling me from Furys computer." He asked. Thor was about to answer when he held his breath. On one hand telling the truth would ensure the rest of the avengers would help knowing full well what they were letting themselves in for however he doubted very much if Barton would help Loki. And that ruled out Natasha as well. Which probably meant Steve wouldn't help either. He didn't realise how long he had been silent till he heard Tonys voice again. 

"Umm Thor are you okay" 

"Apologies again" he took a deep breath and settled on an answer. "There are two children on board the Helicarrier who are in danger. I require your assistance to get them to safety". Thor thought it best to leave out Loki for the time being. After all he had come to him for help with his daughters not himself. 

"Wait slow buddy. Children" Stark seemed unimpressed. "Wait hold on"

Thor sat there awkwardly waiting for a response. He drummed his fingers on the table with worry. He didn't like it when he was waiting. "So umm it looks like we are helping" Stark finally responded sounding out of breath as if he were running. 

"We" Thor asked. 

"I've got Banner with me. Turns out he and Pepper didn't think me leaving two children to the wrath of Fury to be a good idea. Can't argue with those two" he joked. Thor heard Jarvis in the background as the line went dead. He rose from the desk and ran out of the room in search of the confinement facility. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Loki quickly split himself into twenty. He charged forwards as did his reflections. Agents started shooting blindly at the army of Loki's charging towards them. He watched as Fury ran off down the corridor flanked by two older agents leaving the rest to him. 

He quickly took down three agents leaving a small pile off to one side if the floor. He swept through the rest till he had either disposed of them or they had run off. He stood in between two doors. He reached out to to one of them and forced the door open. As the agents were getting ready to fire. He launched himself at them. Three gunshots went off and his eyes quickly averted to his daughter who lay bound to the wall. One shot had narrowly missed her head but the others had fallen near the floor. She had her eyes tightly shut and he sighed in relief. 

Plunging his sceptre into the agents chest he swiftly spun over to her, kneeling down and snapping the bindings in his hands. 

"Hel look at me" he breathed heavily, pulling her into a hug when she raised her eyelids and stared back at him eyes. Tears weld up in her eyes as he gripped her tightly, stroking her hair. 

"You came" she sniffed between tears. 

"I'll always protect you" he whispered. They stood up and Loki wiped the moisture from her cheeks. 

"Your sister" he asked and Hel pointed across the hall. They made their way over to the door but Loki was unable to open it. He looked confused which worried Hel. He looked through the window to see Alayna sat curled up in a ball. He wa horrified to see the plants dying around her. 

"She can do that aswell" Loki asked Hel worriedly. She simply nodded in response. 

"But she can't control it" Hel added nervously trying to see past her father into the room. He banged on the door trying to get her attention. She looked up and he saw tears streaming down her face as her hair clung to her cheeks. When her eyes fell on her father her whole body relaxed. She stopped crying and sat up a little straighter. Loki heard a click of the door as he tried to pull it open again. It was tough but with Hels help they managed to get the door open enough for them to both slip inside. 

On the floor lay Coulson much to Loki's surprise. He stared down at the figure who was gasping and gulping air as if he had never breathed before. 

"You" Loki seethed. 

Coulson turned his head looking up at Loki. "Looks like you're not the only one who can survive dying" he smiled resting his head in his hands.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Fury marched into his office slamming his fists down on the large metal table. Agent Hill rushed in behind him looking shocked. 

"Sir we must get help" she pleaded staring at the back of his head. 

"I did not want to get them involved" Fury muttered forcefully dialling several numbers into his phone. They all started ringing at once. 

"That was quick" Hill exclaimed pointing out of the window. Fury raised his head just in time to see a Quinjet rush past with none other than Barton and Romanov in the cockpit. He glanced back down at his phone to see all five numbers had gone to answer phone. 

"How" be asked himself as Stark flew past narrowly missing his window. He stared in disbelife as he heard a loud crash and the whole Helicarrier shuddered under the impact of the Quinjet docking. 

"What's wrong sir" Maria asked wondering why Fury would be concerned at the arrival of the avengers if he had just asked for their help.


	9. Meeting the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long! Life took an unexpected turn in the fact that I was actually busy...
> 
> Anyway hope it was worth the wait! Planning to go back to writing a chapter a day! :)

The team boarded the Helicarrier with haste, clint quickly kicking off a vent cover and slipping into the large pipes. 

"Meet you on deck three" he smiled. Tony looked down at a small screen he held in his hand with a small flashing dot on it marking Thor's location. 

"Deck three" he agreed.

"Oh and Barton since we are supposed to be on Shields side lets keep the injuries to not fatal" Steve added as he and the rest of the team set off running. Clint nodded and slid into the ventilation system replacing the cover after him. 

They made their way through twists and turns all holding their weapons at the ready. Bruce hung towards the back not wanting to be there at all. In fact thinking about it now he realised he was only there because once again he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And that place was around Tony. Walking through the Helicarrier now they all sensed something wasn't right. For starters it was silent. When they didn't encounter anyone they all slowed taking time to assess the situation. They were moving through the main laboratories, they should have been swarming with people but were empty. Paper and beakers were left out on the sides and the doors were all half open. 

"What horror film have we walked into" Natasha smirked stepping forwards ahead of the men. She wound her way past the tables and out the door on the opposite side of the room. She removed two handguns from their holsters and held them out in front of her. She would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed to find this corridor empty as well. She placed her guns back in their holsters hating the empty sensation she always felt in her hands. 

Meanwhile Bruce made his way over to the far side where two x rays hung, still illuminated by the light box behind. He adjusted his glasses as he examined the images his mind wafering sit usually did when he looked at things like this. 

"I thought you said Thor needed our help" Steve directed at Tony who was clunking his way around the tables a lot less elegantly than when Natasha did it. "There is no one here to help"

They followed Natasha out of the room but a folder caught Bruce's eye. It lay open on a desk showing two pictures of young girls. "Guys hold up" he called flicking through the pages. Tony stepped back inside and joined Bruce when he saw a concerned look on his face. 

"I think I've found out why Thor needs our help" he muttered pointing to a chart. Tony took the file in his hands and skimmed over the text. His eyes fell to a box under the chart captioned 'blood results'.

"You have got to be kidding me" he sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. He noticed Steve return with Natasha who looked impatient. "So it turns out the children may not need help after all" he tried to joke but felt worried more than anything. He dropped the file back onto the desk making the other papers scatter revealing more paper below. 

"Stark what's the matter" Steve pressed, conscious they were wasting time when they could be helping elsewhere. He picked up a loose piece which had fallen on the floor and scanned the large chunk of text quickly. He looks around at the others confused. 

"They're Loki's children" Bruce blurted out at the same time Steve announced:

"They are under the instruction of Phil Coulson"

Receiving stunned silence in return Bruce and Steve returned their gaze to the paper in their hands. Natasha stared in disbelief whilst Steve tried to decide what they should do. Tony shuffled awkwardly from side to side not meeting anyone's gaze. He had brought them all here after all. Loki's lids how could he have been so stupid as to think Shield would take innocent children. 

Just as they were about to decide an almighty explosion rang out knocking them all to their feet. Smoke filled the room and corridor, blocking out the light and making the air dense and humid. Coughs and splutters were the only thing marking each persons position in the black smoke. Steve had landed hard on his ribs winding himself slightly with the force. He could faintly make out a small figure getting up off of the floor. Obviously Natasha he heard her murmur Clint's name as she took off running down the hallway. He was still amazed at how little everything seemed to phase her. His head was throbbing from the noise the explosion had caused yet she seemed completely fine. Though he knew that not to be true. He had just told her Coulson was still alive, he was pretty sure she was running on that thought alone. Still she was running off blindly after hearing an explosion with no sign of the other two he pushed himself off the floor as well. 

"Romanov" he called out grabbing his shield which had flown from his arm and took off after her. Tony was left with a ringing in his ears as he remembered who he was left with. Through the thick smoke he could see Bruce sprawled out under a table. He quickly moved over to him crouching near his head. 

"Banner you okay" he asked hesitantly. Bruce groaned as he pushed himself up off of the floor. Tony immediately relaxed after noticing pink skin as opposes to green. 

"They have got to stop making explosions around me" he joked making Tony sigh a breath of relief. He helped him up and together as they followed the others. Running through the corridors blindly they relied on distant sounds if fighting to guide them where they were supposed to go. Tony made a mental note to instal his new extraction system on board for future use. 

"Whose side does this put us on now" Tony asked taking the lead after catching up with Steve. 

"Loki's children or not I don't want Shield experimenting on them" Bruce replied. 

"What do you mean" 

"From what I saw their vitals are abnormal and their bodies seem to function differently to ours. For Shield it would be like Christmas has come early" Bruce stated matter of factly. 

"Then let's hope we get to them before Barton does" Tony said earnestly "something tells me he won't be so accepting" 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Clint had been knocked through the ceiling with the force of the blast. He rolled off a desk and painfully onto the floor. He put his hands out to pick himself up but felt his palm hit something softer than the floor he should have touched. He looked up to see one eye glaring down at him. 

"Sir" he smiled awkwardly up at the director. He had been warned before about using the ventilation system as a means of transport and here he was surrounded by part of it in the middle of Furys office. 

"And what do I owe the pleasure Barton" Fury said sternly. 

"We-I came here" Fury didn't let him finish wherever he was going with his sentence. If anything Clint was relieved he had interrupted because he wasn't entirely sure what to say. 

"We. Whose we"? Fury asked not bothering to help the archer up. He quite enjoyed watching Clint struggle. It made a change to his usual sarcastic and witty personality. Fury had enough sarcasm from Stark alone. 

"Why have you and the others shown up before I called you" he smiled. Clint hated it when Fury smiled at him like that. He knew better than anyone that if Fury gave you that look you were dead and there was nothing that could save you.

"We had a call" Clint gulped, "from Thor. About two kids that needed help" Clint dodged out of the way as Fury stormed past him and out of the room. Clint grabbed his bow off the floor and ran after him knocking an arrow into place as he walked. He felt bad giving up his position like that but after being thrown from the ceiling after an explosion there is little more he could say other than the truth. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

The rest of the team reached the madness before Fury. The blast had taken out most of the interior of the aircraft. Natasha moved swiftly through the rubble towards a large group of gunfire and shouting. Tony took the more destructive approach and blasted his way past a fallen piece of ceiling. 

The smoke was a lot less dense here due to the fact that one side had a gaping hole in it exposing the occupants to the cold wind. The air tasted metallic and there were odd cracks and sparks from servers cables. Steve through his shield with all his might. It bounced off a large piece of metal protruding out of the floor and took out three agents. The rest of the group turned around to face them pointing their guns at their heads. 

Before they took another breath the sound of Tonys repulsers shattered the air. Metal and scrap went flying, agents fell to the floor covering their heads protectively. Natasha rolled across the half destroyed floor shooting two agents in the foot who had gotten too close for her liking. 

Bruce who had hung back, watched the events unfurl before him. The team had decided to protect the two girls. Regardless of whose they were they were still children, they could worry about the details later. They were easy takeouts, the agents. Many of them didn't even try to out manoeuvred Natasha and didn't step close to Tony or Steve. Bruce heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Fury march in flanked by agent Hill and a sheepish looking Clint. 

Natasha spotted Clint next and she immediately stopped fighting noticing the angered look on Fury's face. Tony only noticed after JARVIS had alerted him but took one final shot at an agent who was attempting to sneak up on a very happy looking Thor. 

The madness died down till the only sound remained was that of the wind rushing past. It howled and whistled through the cracks of the ship

"Him" Clint yelled pulling back on his bow about to fire an arrow at Loki. He gritted his teeth as he loosened his fingers. 

"Clint no" Natasha screamed diving over to him and kicking her leg up. She hit the tip of his bow causing the arrow to fly out of the gaping hole to the side of them. 

"Tasha" Clint asked confused readying another arrow. It was hard to concentrate with the constant rush of wind blowing past them and the sound of Tonys repulsers firing at different targets whether they be people or pieces of debris. It took Steve knocking his shield on Tonys helmet to get him to stop firing and even then he kept his repulsers aimed at Loki who through all of this had been stood behind Thor. Almost cowering as if he were like his daughter. 

"They're his children" she told him hating the pained look on his face. She too was annoyed that Thor had missed that tiny part out when he called Tony but for Clint this now crossed the line into personal territory which was always dangerous.

"What" he spat looking from person to person. They all wore the same sorry face and he felt his heart sink. "Well then count me out" he sighed pulling his bow over his shoulder and turning around to leave. No way on earth was anyone going to get him to help out Loki after what happened. He'd rather break both his arms. He climbed on top of a piece of fallen pipe and vanished into the crumpled mess beyond. 

"Clint" Natasha called after him, Thor coming to her side. Steve looked over shocked at the speed in which Clint had walked away. He knew Clint would take this worse than anyone in Shield, except for maybe Eric Selvig, but he never would have guessed it would have been that quickly. 

Knowing there was nothing to bring Clint back Natasha reloaded her guns whilst the agents all clambered off the floor and sulked over to stand behind Fury. Many of then limped due to their wounds and none would look Natasha or Tony in the eye. 

Loki chose this moment to move over next to Thor. Though nobody moved away he knew they would all rather be further away from him than they were. He glanced back at Alayna who true to her word was still standing where he had been previously. She was clutching her shirt tightly in her hands. There were cuts all over her bare arms and several holes ripped in her trousers. He was doing this for her he reminded himself as the avengers finally acknowledged his presence and he began. 

"I mean you no harm in coming here. I simply seek refuge for my family. The force I am fighting against is powerful and power hungry. If they were to have her in their grasp it would spell the end of not just this world but every world that ever was". Loki looked around. Bruce and Steve seemed as sympathetic as they could whilst Natasha killed him with her eyes. Fury simply looked like a child had told him there were monsters under the bed. 

"You expect me to believe you came here for help" he asked. "Please I have heard better lies told from people with a gun pointed to their head"

"My brother speaks the truth" Thor stepped in hoping Fury would not go against him as well.

"Have you seen this force" Fury asked raising his eyebrow. Thor didn't have an answer be looked solemnly at his brother. "Well"

"The force my brother speaks of is real and powerful. Though I have not seen him Thanos could take on this world and leave with but a scratch". 

"So" Fury thought. "I am to assemble the avengers just in case this Thanos character shows up and demands your daughter"

"He has shown up" Loki gasped charging through the group towards two agents who had just walked in. Everybody stood staring in shock as he spun a spear out of thin air. Running faster still towards the two agents he brought the weapon high over his head. Leaping into the air he plunged it down through ones stomach, the other freezing immediately by his side. 

With that everyone grabbed their weapons, aiming them at Loki. Alayna ran forwards towards Thor who held her back. A click of Natasha gun made Loki turn around. 

"Tell your master she's off limits" he seethed into the aliens ear before it faded from view leaving Loki holding a spear dripping with a green liquid. 

"What" Hill asked looking around for the two agents.

"That was one of those creatures from New York" Steve questioned. 

"Ok Loki" Fury spat. "I thinks it's time you explained what's going on"


	10. A change of heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this story is slow to continue! I have been off from college since forever and now I'm going back! In case you don't hear from me for a while I just want to say thank you for all the kudos! It really means a lot to this first time writer! :)

Hel snuck through the cracks and holes in the walls venturing from offices to a large training area with mirrors along one wall. She only took a glance at her reflection. As she looked awful. Due to the thousands of pieces it had cracked into she saw a disconnected image of a girl who hadn't had a shower in weeks. Knotted hair fell in clumps past her eyes and her clothes looked as if she had picked them up off a scrap heap. Distracted with her grotty appearance, she cut her hand slightly as she pulled herself through an opening which led her into an even bigger hall lined with tables and metal counters. She whipped away some of the blood on her other hand, smearing it slightly across her fingertips. As sweat mixed in with the open gash she shook her hand to relieve the sting. 

As she climbed over the tables and chairs she could hear a distant screeching sound. As it grew louder she was forced to cover her ears with the intensity of the it. On rounding a corner she saw two hideous creatures approaching. Their skin looked like grey bone with bloody eyes which glared at her like a piece of meat. She gasped and started moving backwards not taking her eyes off of the advancing creatures. 

As they started to move faster she turned away and ran. Her feet pounded on the metal floor which echoed throughout the room. She fell into a wall leaving behind a red handprint on the smooth texture, Pushing off of it she clambered over some rubble trying not to use her hand too much. The scratching of feet grew closer and she used her remaining strength to hoist herself up into a loose ceiling panel. Just as she thought she had made it she felt a cold, hard hand grab hold of her ankle. 

Screaming in pain she was dragged back to the ground hitting her chin on the way. She blood in her mouth she spat out gasping for breath which was hard to come by. She lashed out but hit nothing but air. Her eyes were trying to focus but in the moment of trying to locate her attackers, they had moved behind her and were holding her tightly against them. They screeched in her ear, deafening her. She winced against the ringing, which drowned out any background noise as she still struggled against their hold. 

Their skin was rough and stretched tightly over their rigid bones. It made her gag to touch the scaly texture but she tried desperately to dig her nails in. She barely touched the surface because her nails were bitten short. A bad habit she had picked up from months of worrying what the morning would bring. The Chitari started to drag her backwards towards where she had just run. Her heels dragged along the dusty floor causing one of her shoes to fall off in the process. They weren't the best fitting shoes in the world so she want surprised. They were all she could grab when they fled Arbor. 

She kicked back trying to gain purchase on the situation but shocks of pain swept through her uncovered ankle as she was pulled over smashed glass. Several small shards pushed deep into the soft skin. She didn't stop calling out for help the whole time. Now she knew there was no way to get away from their hold she decided to conserve her strength. She also had a very low pain tolerance, one of the very few things she hated about herself, meaning it was taking most of her concentration to stop tears welling up from the pain she was experiencing in her mouth, her ankle, and most of her body. 

They were dragging her through the door when she heard a whooshing sound go past her head. She instinctively ducked as best she could, regretting the decision instantly as she but her lip, making blood drip down her chin and into the attackers arm. She felt the hands to her left go slack and she took the opportunity to rip herself from the others grasp. She whirled around and kicked the chitari back with all her might, winching as she felt the glass dig in and felt a small trickle of warm blood pool between her bare toes. She really did hate blood. 

When he was down another arrow lodged it's way into his heart as she watched its eyes close. She breathed a sigh of relief sinking down to floor to take the weight off of her aching muscles. "Thanks" she smiled to the shadows noticing a figure load another arrow into a bow. Only one person here could have a shot like that from all the way over the other side of the room. "Clint right" she asked peering over an overturned table as Barton stepped out relaxing the bowstring. 

"The one and only" he sighed replacing his bow over his shoulder and putting the arrow back in its holder. "I'm guessing you're the other child" he asked warily crouching down beside her atop the table. 

"The one and only" she mimicked back earning herself a small smile. "I really am grateful" she added holding her foot in the hand which didn't hurt. Now that she had come down from an adrenalin high she realised how tired she was and how much everything hurt. 

"Don't mention it. I saw one of those creatures and with a face like that it's hard to forget who they are" he grimaced at the the Chitari crumpled behind them. "Besides what kind of a hero would I be if I didn't save a damsel in distress" he laughed. 

Hel glared at him but soon and gave in to a small laugh. However she did make a note to never find herself in need when Barton was around again. She didn't need the title of damsel in distress with her father around. 

"I'm surprised you helped me what with my family and the trouble that follow me around" she stared curiously. 

"So am I actually. I had just walked away from helping your sister. How old are you" he asked staring at her palm which she held flat out in first of her, a deep cut running along the middle of it, obviously painful to bend. She looked older than the other girl but wasn't that tall compared to her sister. Hel thought about this for a moment. 

"Uhh....I guess eighteen" she answered after a while. She decided to go with a normal response. Though it wasn't the truth it made her feel slightly more welcome in his presence and she had a feeling they might be staying in this realm for a whole. 

"You guess" he repeated clearly not buying her delivery of the statement. "Well then I am surprised I helped you. Eighteen and still needing help to outwit a couple of aliens. You should be ashamed of yourself" he teased trying to lighten the mood which was tinged with awkwardness. No doubt they were both thinking about the time Clint spent under her fathers control. Though she had only heard Loki's version she was sure it was a painful memory for him. 

"Let's just say I'm out of practice" she responded trying to pick herself up off of the dusty floor. As she stood she put too much weight on her heel. Hel let out a small scream as she felt the pieces of glass sink further into her heel. Clint rushed up and grab hold of her arm. She immediately threw most of her weight into him not wanting to walk anywhere like this. Clint was surprised by this. For so long he had been around people like Natasha and Maria who could be shot three times and still continue fighting. This was quite a contrast. 

Once he noticed the thick blood dripping from her ankle he realised that maybe she wasn't being such a wimp as he first thought. Practically carrying her over what remained of tables and chairs, they made their way through the mess hall and back towards the rest of the group. He wasn't sure where they were heading. The interior was destroyed, supports were bent or missing and no furniture or decorations remained making navigation near on impossible. They struggled forwards turning only when it was absolutely necessary. The air smelt of burnt out electrics which was hard to breath. Despite the large amounts of holes leading to the cool air outside it was surprisingly stuffy in the enclosed spaces. 

"How did you know who I was by the way" Clint grunted with the effort of pulling two bodies over a collapsed wall. 

"My father told me a lot about you Avengers" she winched dragging her foot behind her. "And who else would be away from the main problem shooting arrows to save a young girl"

Clint laughed despite himself. How much had Loki told this girl about him? He knew he had told him too much. Things that other people should never know about him, about his friends. Thankfully Hel interrupted his thought before he could turn around and leave again. 

"But what I don't understand is why you helped me. I know what my father did to you during New York. Any sane person would have left me for dead" Hel asked. 

"Because you're not him". Clint replied slowly thinking about his words. "And I know people can change given the right opportunity" he added thinking about all the people he knew who only showed glimmers of their former selves. They hobbled the rest of the way in silence. There was nothing more to say. 

Clint arrived to a very different scene to the one he left. Compared to the eerie silence he left, the shouts were growing steadily louder as everyone competed to be heard. Voice over voice turned into an unrecognisable buzz. Fury was holding back Steve who looked ready to kill someone whilst Thor waved Mjolnir round, threatening anyone who took a step closer towards Loki. Loki wore the same confused and slightly frightened face as Alayna. Clint wasn't surprised by Tony's attempts to take Natasha's guns away from her but he was surprised by Steve. Calm, composed Steve who never let his emotions take control of him was now being restrained. What the hell happened here. 

Hel looked just as confused. The minute they stepped through what was left of the door Loki ran over to help her. Lifting her up as if she were weightless he held her close, moving over to where some rubble had been cleared, he set her down tenderly. 

"What happened" he asked ignoring the din behind him. Barton remained quiet unsure whether or not Loki was addressing him or Hel. She winched a little as he ran his hand over her ankle. He watched as tiny shards of glass slid out of the cuts in her foot and fell onto the floor in a tiny pile. 

"What happened" Loki reappeared again his voice growing in annoyance. Nobody else had noticed the two enter and now Bruce was having to help Fury with Steve. 

"New York aliens tried to take her" Clint responded this time realising Hel wasn't going to say anything as she lay supported by Loki's hands. Loki sighed deeply his face riddled with emotion as he tried to work things through in his mind. 

"Thank you" he said after minutes of listening to the continuing arguing behind them. They turned around and started walking back over to the group. Though Hel was limping slightly she was able to walk quite quickly. 

"I'm surprised you got the shot considering how much I was moving" 

"Oh that. That was easy. I could have done it with a broken arm" he said proudly puffing up his chest to make his muscles seem even more impressive. They both laughed as they followed Loki who, though they couldn't see his head, knew he was glaring at them. Natasha finally noticed Clint and moved over to stand by him. When she looked into his eyes he simply nodded. Though no words were exchanged both knew what the other had said. 

'Are you staying'?

'Of course'.


	11. Secrets and promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologise profoundly in the delay with updating this story! Over the past few weeks I have come to realise that reality really does suck! I went through a period of no writing but found myself to be bored and with no escape from it all! So I'm back hopefully for good this time! I'm so sorry it took so long but thank you for all the kudos and waiting for me! This chapter comes with the one promise I can keep: there is more to come! :)

"Now that everyone has their hormones in check can we please have an explanation as to what the hell is going on around here" he directed at Clint then Loki. Whilst Clint scowled back Loki took a deep breath. He was about to respond when Tony suddenly clunked his way over to the large hole in the side. He lent his arm against a beam and looked out at the view. 

"Could we take this meeting to somewhere with soft sofas and beverages". He smirked stepping closer to the edge. As the team looked past him they realised they had reached the edge of New York. High rising towers filled the sky with loud sounds of cars and rumbling below them. Alayna moved out from behind Loki to get a better look, Her eyes wide with amazement. 

Tony reached behind him and grabbed Bruce and Steve by the arms. His suit fired up and before either of them could stop it Tony was flying out of the hole and above the skyline towards Stark towers. Fury growled as he watched three members of the team disappear into the distant and turned towards Thor. 

"Splendid idea" Thor announced reaching towards Loki and Hel. Loki only just had time to jump back out of the way before Thor took off flying through the air after Tony. Hel screamed excitedly as they soared high above the ground. She loved the feeling of the wind rushing past her and the empty stomach she felt when they dropped suddenly. They landed on the large balcony all too soon, following Tony who was removing his suit. As the pieces were removed from his body and disappeared under the floor it became clear that he was wearing pyjamas underneath.

Steve and Bruce exchanged a look as Thor decided it was another Midgardian concept and went along with it. He turned around and began swinging Mjolnir ready to go back to the Helicarrier which was slowly moving closer towards the tower. Bruce and Steve followed a very casual Tony stark as he strutted inside wearing an insanely baggy t shirt and checked shorts. As they entered through the door Bruce silently took a photo to use for a later date, snickering to himself the whole time.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Dad where are we" Alayna asked Loki, who bent down to brush a few loose strands of hair out of her face. She looked nervous and kept silently clicking her fingers, a trait Loki knew she had had since she was young. 

"Midgard. New York. You know when I went away some time ago" Alayna nodded her head. "Well I came here. And though I know they may seem strange at first, these people are going to help you"

"Really" she questioned looking back over at Clint and Natasha who were exchanging quiet words with one another whilst Fury yelled obscenities out into the air after his team who had left. Loki kept a straight face but he was laughing on the inside. Once again Fury lacked control over his team, and this time he was able to see just how mad that made him. 

"They look questionable to me" she added awkwardly. 

"I promise you will be safe with them. And what do we do with promises"? he asked taking her small hand in his. 

"We keep them" she smiled back gripping his hand tightly as Thor flew back through the hole landing effortlessly and walking towards them. He had the name of the God of lies. Though he didn't mind it he never wanted Alayna to share that name. People were too quick to judge, to distrust you, when you had a name like that. 

"Hold on tight brother" Thor said knowing full well Loki still felt weak. He wasn't holding himself at his usual height making him appear shorter. It pained him to see his brother like this, his usual strength obviously absent. 

"Is that what you say to all the women" Loki quipped as he clutched tightly onto Thor's armour. Seeing Alayna secured under Thor's arm he allowed himself to be lifted over to the edge. As they tipped over the side Alayna started screaming. With a high pitched ringing in their ears both Thor and Loki looked towards her only to find her eyes wide with excitement as she laughed hysterically throwing her arms out as best she could. Thor tightened his grip on the squirming child all too aware of the sudden drop below them and a powerful brother in his other grip. 

As soon as they landed Alayna ran to edge of the balcony and peered over the edge. Staring down at the hustle and bustle of life below her, she grinned to herself. She couldn't wait to explore this place. It was so much more alive than where she had spent her life previously. 

"What's that" she asked Thor pointing at the cars which were honking and beeping their horns in the traffic.

"They call them cars" he said proud of himself for remembering what they were called. He had only used the transportation once and he remembered it being rather cramped. "Where we would use horses they use those things" Alayna never took her eyes off of the city below, marvelling at its beauty. She especially liked how the sun reflected off of the glass making colours bounce and dance on the surface. A hand on her shoulder brought her back to her senses and she slowly peeled herself away from the view. 

"We can see more later" Hel said to her as they walked side by side. Alayna leaned into Hel slightly looking up at her. She wondered if Hel was enjoying herself as much as she was. She defientley wanted to show her the cars later. They seemed so small form up here but she knew they would be as big as bears when she reached the ground. 

They stepped inside with the others, Hel instantly sensing an awkward tension between the men. Thor and Loki were stood near the doorway still whilst the three avengers were behind the large bar lined with mixtures and concoctions in various shaped jars and bottles. Whilst Tony stared down at his drink Steve kept catching the girls eyes then quickly looking away again, a blush appearing on his face like a schoolboy caught looking at the answers to a test. 

"Why are you wearing pyjamas Tony" Bruce Finally broke the silence. He had been wondering ever since he removed the suit. Though Tony was eccentric this was lazy even for his standards. 

"Well if you will insist on calling me this early on the morning what do you expect" he gestured to Thor. 

"Stark it's three in the afternoon" Steve pointed out the large clock on the wall. Tony looked over, a shocked look on his face. 

"Oh, well JARVIS cancel my meeting at twelve" he called out. 

"sir"? His A.I questioned but soon went silent after Tony dismissed him and started to fill up a glass of scotch.

"What's that" Alayna asked Hel wondering what kind of a drink was golden in colour instead of clear. 

"Some form of Midgardian alcohol I believe" she replied. She didn't feel like speaking much when the room was this quiet. It felt as though everyone was listening to each others thoughts. She decided in that instant that she really hated silence. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Coulson" Clint raised his eyes at Natasha. "How's that possible"

"That's what it said on the file. Handler: Agent Phil Coulson"

"But Natasha we stood by him afterwards. We checked he was dead. Both of us. Multiple times" Clint pressed still unable to believe what he was hearing. If it were true that would mean Coulson's been alive for just over a year. They both looked up at Fury who had been listening in on their conversation. He looked back at them with panic in his eyes. They immediately knew they should not have found out. That Coulson was alive, and somewhere on-board. 

Natasha shook her head at him feeling a mixture of emotions at the new events. She didn't want to believe that Fury had kept this information from them. He wouldn't, he knew how much Phils 'death' affected them. But maybe he did die. Maybe the file was old left over from a while ago. That was ridiculous what other agent would take in two children S.H.I.E.L.D just found. Coulson was alive and whether they liked it or not S.H.I.E.L.D had kept this information from them.


	12. Reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I'm back now please feel free to leave any comments about how I can improve my writing! This is my first fanfic so any feedback is welcome! :)

"Where is he" Clint seethed. Natasha had fallen silent. She was staring out into space, deep in thought. She was angry, he knew immediately. Unlike Natasha Clint was a little more open his feelings, or at least he wasn't as good at hiding them. His voice was sharp, his eyes staring deep into Fury's willing him to blink first. 

A long pause came before Fury's response. "Containment facility" was all he responded as he turned on his heel and swept out of the room. He needed to find Hill. He'd rather sort this madness out with his feet not suspended a thousand feat in the air. He also wanted to be as far away from the two assassins as possible. 

Without a second look back Clint and Natasha took off running. The climbed up through a hole and found themselves in a smoke filled corridor. The ventilation system had obviously failed on this floor and with no holes to filter the air it was dense and made breathing painful. They approached two rooms which had brown soil spilling out across the floor. Shards of broken pots littered every inch meaning you had to place your feet carefully to avoid being impaled on the sharp edges. 

"Here" Clint coughed, kicking some debris out of the way. The smoke burned his throat making it dry and impossible to swallow. They manoeuvred themselves around his limp body, each taking small sharp breaths to save the pain. Natasha gasped as she laid eyes on him. Dressed in an immaculate suit, he looked no different to the day she saw him last. He was breathing slowly and shallowly apparently also struggling with the fumes. 

Clint immediately set to work picking him up. Draping his arm around his neck and using the leverage to host him up till he was sort of standing. 

"Leave me" he groaned clutching loosely at his chest. Never had he felt pain such as that. His lungs felt as though they were being turned inside out, unable to take in air. His throat tightened till not even a pin could have gotten through. He had bruises around his neck where he had gripped tightly trying to relieve the pressure building up around his head. 

"Just keep her away from me" he pointed in the direction of Natasha who flinched at his words. They haunted their work for a second after he spoke. Clint surveyed the room, they were still the only ones in here. Natasha took a step away from him, she didn't know what else to do. 

"Sir it's us Clint and Natasha. We're helping you" Clint pointed out noticing Coulson hadn't looked at them yet. Phil raised his head slightly focusing his eyes. It didn't take long for him to notice the outline of bright red hair moving across his vision. He smiled slightly, breathing a sigh of relief. No ones hair was as deadly as hers. He was overcome with guilt when he realised he thought she was Loki's girl. 

"Hey there Phil" Natasha said   
holding his hand as the two agents helped their handler out of the room.

"Natasha" he sighed grasping tightly at her hand and Clint's shoulder. "Forgive me". His brow was furrowed in either pain or concentration, Clint couldn't tell which. He felt Natasha's body relax and that made him feel better, not to mention more comfortable. When Natasha was upset it was best if you moved out of the city till it had all been sorted out. 

"Barton, Romanov, jet three now" Fury's voice echoed in their ear pieces. They had grown accustomed to the constant feeling of the ear piece. It used to be an obvious distraction when sitting through mission briefs but now Clint often found himself falling asleep with them on. Several times he had even broken them after rolling on them during the night. 

Moving through the cloud of black dust was slow progress but eventually they made it to a very impatient looking Fury.

"They know sir" Coulson sighed heavily. 

"Know what"? Fury snapped, ducking into the back of one of the smaller jets. On board already were two women each with their hair tied back in tight buns and white lab coats covering their causal jeans and t-shirts. 

"Sir they know about me" he sighed again taking a shaky breath through his nose, his chest still tight. 

"Who do" 

"Natasha and Clint" 

"Yes thank you Phil I hadn't realised they were carrying you" Fury said flippantly. It was clear he was at the end of his tether because he rarely spoke to Coulson and Hill in this way. Both Clint and Natasha couldn't help but smile despite themselves, though the thought of Fury keeping this a secret kept pushing its way to the front of their minds. 

"Hill get us to Stark now" he ordered the agent sat at the controls. Immediately the door sealed shut behind them and they felt a rush as the jet lifted off of the ground. The two women moved over to where Clint had laid him down on the floor. They opened up a small silver case and took out an oxygen mask. Placing it over his mouth and nose, the others saw his body relax slightly and he closed his eyes. 

"His vitals are slightly below normal. Nothing that sleep cannot fix" the other women told Fury as she removed three pressure pads from his arm. 

"Well at least it's some good news". Fury responded. "There's not enough of that in this job". Though the journey was short it was spent in silence. The two agents desperately seemed answers but knew whilst Coulson led at their feet they ought to leave the discussion for later. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

With the help of the two nurses Clint was able to lift Coulson and take him down to a small recovery floor Tony had installed after Bruce got ill. With enough beds for all of them, Clint laid him down on one with a clear view of the city. The others had tried to follow but Fury had kept then sealed on the top floor where they had landed. He even kept Natasha which Clint knew he would pay for later. 

"You can leave now agent Barton" the nurses called out when the noticed him still standing in the doorway. It took him a moment to register someone had spoke. 

"Right. Yes. Thanks" he stuttered his words before tearing himself away from the room and getting into the lift to meet the rest of the group. He hadn't realised how long he had been standing there. Almost a year had gone by and the loss of his handler was just starting to become a memory. After all this time of believing he would never see Phil again, and today he has just carried him from the Helicarrier to Starks hospital. He couldn't yet workout if this was a nice feeling or not. 

He quickly pressed the button not wanting to miss anything. Against his better judgement he had just given Loki a second chance and he wanted to know all the facts before he once again joined his side. This time he was going to make sure he joined a side based on his own mind and not some crazy god who was hell bent on taking over earth. He stepped out and joined the group which were stood around the bar. They all had a drink though Tony was the only one physically drinking his. 

He took his place between Fury and Natasha and turned his concentration towards Loki who looked as though he was about to explain the reason for all this madness.


	13. Scars and alliances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the Kudos! It really means a lot! :)

"Take us back to the beginning Loki". Fury ordered impatiently. He was met with blank stares and unquestionable silence. 

"She was born" he started when he noticed Loki thinking things over. He didn't have to time to watch Loki plan his response. Loki glared in his direction but began anyway. 

"Ok she was born. This was before the events with my brother and New Mexico so know that we have all grown since then, We are different people. In an attempt to give her a normal life I moved Hel to Arbor, a small planet just outside the nine realms, almost undetectable, and left Alayna with her. For a while they lived alone and protected with a little help from me. I didn't want either of them getting mixed up in the threats of Asgard. That was until a patrol of Asgardian's entered the planet on a expedition. I should have been more thorough with my deterrents, she wasn't ready". He paused as his mind flashed the pain and fear he had felt at the time over and over. 

"Know that she has learnt to control the power that surges through her veins, it is no longer a threat unless she feels under threat". 

"Under control" Fury mocked "What part of under control do you call killing fifty of my agents"

"She was scared" Loki raised his voice, a deadly bite to his words. "It has only happened twice. The second being yesterday. The first time she took out the entire patrol and ran away to earth using their Bifröst connection". 

Loki paused letting the first part sink in. Alayna was still wrapped in cloth at this point. It seemed so hard to imagine things getting out of hand so quickly. He remembered it like it was yesterday. Heimdall had seen them the second they landed on earth. In that same moment he had also realised they were not of earth. Never had Loki been in such a hurry to go to Midgard as he was in that moment. 

"I have been here before" Alayna asked, her eyes barely seeing above the high counter top. Noticing this, Loki lifted her up and sat her down on the counter. She gazed over at Hel. Everyone else was surprised to hear her speak. She was so quiet they had forgotten she was stood there at all. 

"You were only a baby at the time. You couldn't even talk" Hel sighed wanting to move on from the subject. That had been the first time she had killed somebody. Unlike some people, she never wanted to again. She looked over at Natasha and wondered how she wasn't affected by the lives she stole. It made her physically sick to think about the families she had destroyed with her fear. 

"Moving on" Loki pressed, annoyed his train of thought had been interrupted. "HeimdalI thought it best to alert the all father of strange beings on earth as well as the death of the patrol on Arbor. Naturally he put two and two together and believed Asgard to be under threat. After I was confined to my quarters under the watchful eye of Frigga I was unable to reach them before Thanos did" he finished mournfully.

He raised his eyes to meet Hel's, she gave him a small smile trying to convey her emotions for what felt like the the hundredth time. Not once had Loki forgiven himself for 'abandoning' his girls. Each time Hel told him that she didn't blame him, never had and never will. It wasn't Loki who inflicted the pain on the sisters. The only thing he ever did was sacrifice himself to save them. An action she was still trying to repay. 

"So what happened. Did you stay on earth"? Maria asked. This time it was Hel who responded. She could see Loki's hard outer shell start to crumble, it always did when he talked about Thanos. His eyes were flicking back and forth as he sorted through the jumble of information in his mind, but only Hel noticed this. 

"I will skip the parts with useless information and jump to the part where he comes and saves us" she said smiling weakly to her father.

"After weeks of bargaining it was agreed that in return for our release Loki would give Thanos the throne of Asgard. To ensure Loki kept his word Alayna and I were each given one half of the mark of Niss, with the promise that if he failed Thanos would complete the mark". 

Having been so caught up in her memories she failed to see the confused look on the teams faces. "What"? She asked awkwardly wondering if she left anything out. 

"Mark of Niss"? Bruce questioned. 

"Oh. Sorry. I thought you knew about it. Well it's umm" she began but soon faltered. 

"A scar" Loki finished. "On your back".

"Two cuts are made across your spine and once they touch it calls to the servers of Niss. The lines act as a target with the servers never missing their mark". Thor concluded sadly. 

"Superstition"? Tony asked who had never been one for ghost stories. 

"Quite real. We used them to punish traitors in the old age". Thor couldn't take his eyes off of their backs. He had seen many a mark in his lifetime and it was truly horrifying to think of the young girls being scarred with them. 

"Show me" Tony asked looking up at Loki. 

"You will see no such thing" 

"Show me" Tony said again turning to Hel. Hel paused for a moment before starting to remove her t-shirt. She felt a painful slap to her arm as she saw Loki's hand grasp around her wrist tightly, trying to stop her. He gently shook his head but she shrugged him off and moved her hair to the side to reveal the scar. She knew they needed to see it if they were to help them. They weren't idiots. 

There were murmured gasps as they looked at Hel's back. All the time they were expecting a thin line of darker skin but the truth was quite far from it. As if she had only just been hit, there was a long, deep gash running from the top of her shoulder down to the middle of her ribs. Only it looked as though somebody had ripped the skin apart rather than cut it. Similar to when you rip paper and you get smaller tears radiating outwards, her back looked like a sheet of paper. 

The skin around it was red and angry though Hel showed no signs of being uncomfortable. Bruce immediately stepped forwards to get a closer look. He adjusted his glasses as his fingers ghosted over the raw skin. 

"May I" he questioned unsure of how much it hurt. He had never seen anything quite like it before. It looked as though the wound itself was stopping the body from healing it. 

"Go ahead" she said confidently. "It hurts less than a paper cut" she added trying to convey how little it hurt compared to when she was first marked. That was a pain she hoped to avoid at all costs. 

"And they both have that" Steve asked Loki. 

"Yes" was all Loki could manage before having to avert his eyes to the floor. It pained him beyond reason to see his daughters scarred in this way. Alayna held out her hand, which Loki took hurriedly. 

"Ok so you bargained for their release but I seem to recall you failing to obtain the throne" Fury pressed wanting to get to the part where Loki apologises and gets the hell off of earth. 

"You survived the fall into the black hole because you never reached it did you" Thor turned to Loki as he said this. Loki smiled back at him. 

"Took you long enough brother" he quipped, throwing Hel her t-shirt so she could redress. 

"But no I never reached it as Thaos was waiting. At this point Hel and Alayna were on Asgard so I knew even if they were discovered they would be safe. When Frigga learned of my capture she soon found my girls and escorted them back to Arbor".

"Mother knows of them" Thor shouted, louder than necessary. At this point a million questions flooded his head. Was he the last one to know about this?

"Yes Thor she knows. You are not the only one to go against the all father behind his back" Loki also raised his voice making Alayna jump slightly. 

"Not now" Fury joined in the shouting, Trying to resume order bit was cut down by Hill. 

"Sir I would leave them to it if I were you"

"She has a point" Steve agreed knowing that a silenced god was a very unhappy god. 

"And I suppose you're going to help him" Fury retaliated, Turing his attentions from one argument to another. Before everyone knew what was going on they were all shouting above one another trying to settle the conflict. Alayna sat in the centre covering her ears as their voices grew louder and louder in order to be heard. 

"I suppose she also knows of your recovery from death" Thor continued ignoring Fury. 

"Does it matter if she does" Loki asked bluntly. 

"It does since you took the time to leave me in my arms" Thor sounded hurt and Loki immediately knew to stop. He was gripping Mjolnir so tightly his knuckles were white and profound. Loki knew all to well what was to follow should he continue. He lowered his voice and cautiously spoke. 

"Thanos had found them again. Not that he would have cared but I couldn't let the all-father find out. So I disappeared in the only way I could think of at the time". 

Thor's expression softened slightly. He dropped his act as he grabbed his brother and pulled him into a bone breaking hug. He couldn't stay mad at him. He still saw him as the child he had grown up as. 

"Next time I disappear with you, you hear me" his voice muffled in Loki's shoulder. Loki awkwardly stood there, one hand wrapped around the mountain that was Thor's shoulders. Neither one noticed the others become quieter till the only sounds were Thor's heavy breathing and Loki's moans of discomfort. 

"And you say Thanos is searching for you now" Fury asked once Thor had released Loki and the awkward silence had gone. Loki nodded and sighed heavily, glad to have the use of his lungs back. 

"I know it's a lot to ask for after my actions but I just want them to be safe". Loki gestured to his girls. "It was Thor who brought me here so if you are going to punish anyone let it be him. But I know of no others who would be able to protect my family. They have had a pathetic childhood of constant running and pain and if you don't accept me, accept them". 

Loki was out of words. He hoped they would see that the events in New York weren't entirely all because of him. They now knew his motives and knew who and what they were dealing with. He just hoped they wouldn't reject Alayna. With her being so young she really had no where else to go. 

At the mention of a pathetic childhood serval members exchanged looks. They had never wished their childhoods on anyone else and at the mention of these girls going through hell, it made them pause and think about the situation. 

"I will protect you all till my last breath" Thor announced but it did nothing to ease the tension of waiting for the others response. 

"Maybe not till my last breath but I will do my best to help" Bruce agreed. He could never let two children suffer, regardless of who they were. Tony give him a mixed expression of what Brice could only interpret as annoyance and anxiety. 

"Fine" Tony sulked stepping over besides Bruce. "Let's call it an adventure" he added having only had minimal experience with a fun childhood himself. He poured himself another glass of Whiskey before sowing it hurriedly. There was a long pause before anyone else spoke up. 

"It would be my pleasure" Clint called out, shocking everyone. Natasha watched him as he stepped in front of Thor and nodded to Loki. "But I do it for them, not you" he added, a tone of authority in his voice. 

"Naturally" Loki responded as everyone turned to Natasha who rolled her eyes. She silently moved over to stand next to Clint, not making eye contact with anyone. As everyone realised she wasn't going to reply they turned to the remaining three people. 

"I'm in" Agent Hill agreed quickly. she figured if Natasha was willing to help she better had too and she could hardly go against most of the avengers when it came to picking the right side. 

In true Steve fashion he was still looking back and forth from Loki to the rest of his team to the two silent girls before him. "You have my promise to protect your daughters" he said politely, smiling down at Alayna who stared up at him. 

"Up to you buddy" Tony joked at Fury who stood with his hands on his hips. 

"Since I have lost my team and my second in command I can only accept and say I'm in. But know that the slightest move in the wrong direction and I will personally hand you and your family over to Thanos". He warned, extending his hand. Nobody expected anything differently with Fury's response. 

Loki took it quickly with a relieved smile on his face. As they shook hands he realised that he had finally found the protection he despretly needed, and that for the first time in their lives, his daughters were safe.


	14. A place to stay.

"So it's settled then. They stay" Fury sighed, unhappy with the outcome. Loki though putting on a relaxed facade was feeling all to unsure about the situation. He didn't like being here on earth. He didn't like being this close to the team, who months ago, had tried to kill him. 

"Are you taking them back to Shield" Tony asked, filling his glass for a third time. 

"No need" Fury smiled. "They will be staying here"

Just as Tony was about to take a sip his eyes became wide with shock. "Here" he stuttered wiping some of the drink from his chin. 

"Yes Stark here. As you so often remind us Stark towers is more secure than any safe house Shield has to offer" 

There was only silence from the group as they realised there was no getting out of this. With a final glance around the room, Fury turned and swept over to the lift, closely followed by Hill. 

"Do the right thing" Fury said before the doors shut him off from view. The attention was drawn back to their guests. The air was thicker now Fury had left. A group of people who had been on two very different sides, now only separated by a row of breakable objects. 

The silence remained for too long. People had started to finish their drinks. Not because they wanted to but to give them an excuse to not talk. Fury's last words were jumping all over their minds. Each had their own opinion as to what the 'right thing' could be. 

"Loki could I speak with you" Thor asked. Loki nodded and started to follow Thor out of the room. Alayna followed so closely behind she kept tripping on Loki's cape. 

"Loki could we speak alone" Thor asked again glancing down at the little girl huddled into his brothers back. This made Loki stop in his tracks. 

"Whatever you have to say to me you can say to her" Loki said adamantly.

"Father" Hel spoke up, moving towards Alayna. "She's ok with me". Hel saw the worried look on Thor's face and knew it was not a conversation her sister should overhear. Though Loki thought it best to tell Alayna everything, Hel knew some things should be kept behind closed doors. Of course she had also told her father to lock some things away. One of those things being his real connection to the avengers.

"Wait here" he told the two girls sternly. Alayna nodded whilst Hel rolled her eyes. He stared at them before leading Thor through a doorway, making a gentle thud as the god shut the door. 

The silence was resumed once again which made everyone uncomfortable. When with the avengers it was never quiet, not even when everyone was sleeping. It was then that Clint thought of a way out of it. 

"Wanna have a tour of the place" he asked Hel. Who smiled slightly as she nodded her head. 

"Why not" she shrugged as she guided Alayna with her.

"I'm not going" Alayna suddenly moved back to where she had been standing previously. 

"Oh come on A" Hel used her nickname, trying to coax her out of her shell. She never was very good with new people. 

"Daddy told us to wait here" she said unmoving. 

"Daddy tells us a lot of things but I promise you this will be fun" she tried again. Alayna shook her head. Hel really didn't like how closely Alayna followed everything their father said. It wasn't as if his advice was always accurate and he rarely gave them any other advice other than how to prevent getting enemy's. With a final shrug Clint led Hel to the lift and pressed the button for the garage. Hel stood in the corner, an annoyed look on her face. She didn't feel bad for leaving her little sister. She was more than capable of getting along with these people. If she could do it then so could Alayna, with that thought she concentrated her mind into remembering every inch of their new home. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Tony looked around to face Natasha who was no longer stood next to him. He looked around quickly to find her taking a bottle of whiskey and a glass towards the stairs. 

"And where do you think you're going" he called out suddenly realising everyone was leaving. 

"To visit a friend" she called back, her hair flying behind her as she rushed down the stairs. Tonys attention was brought back when he realised all too late that the Black Widow was in one of her 'moods'. They rarely occurred except after the occasional botched mission so Tony knew to keep a wide berth till she had resumed her usual composure. 

"Hello" Steve said to Alayna, extending out his hand. Alayna was slow to take up on his offer. These people seemed friendly enough, but she was unsure what her father expected her to do. He had kept his distance from all but Thor after all. 

She raised her own arm and gently shook his hand. "Steve" he called out. 

"Alayna" she smiled turning to Tony. She figured her father must just have been nervous like her. They seemed nice enough. 

"Tony" he said. "And this is Bruce" he added pointing to Bruce who was still keeping his distance behind the bar. 

"Nice to meet you" she chimed walking over to the large windows that faced out onto the city. As she got closer she slowed till she was stood just in front of them. 

"Is it safe" she asked not wanting to get to close to edge in case she fell. 

"Umm sure" Tony responded slightly confused. Steve stepped over towards her and lent on the glass. 

"Can't fall through" he said to her noticing her instantly relax. Alayna stepped closed and copied Steve's pose in leaning against the glass. She laughed to herself as she looked down below her and watched her breath fog up the glass. It was at that point that they realised how new this child was to life on earth. Tony gave Bruce a worried look, hoping Loki would return soon. Having a child around was bad enough but having one who obviously had never even seen a window before, this wasn't going to be a walk in the park. 

"Is there anything you want to do" Bruce asked her quickly, thinking on his feet. He didn't know if she played games or plotted the downfall of an entire planet. He was still waiting for Loki to shine through in her personality and take them all down when they least expected it. It didn't help when Alayna simple stared at him in return. He shifted awkwardly in his seat trying his hardest to keep eye contact, but dropping it to his glass moments later. 

Steve remained quiet in the corner carefully watching her. He was intrigued as to how someone like Loki could create such a cute little girl. Her cheeks had a red glow to them and compared to Hel she was quite short. It was then that he noticed her clothes and how differently she was dressed to Hel. 

"Do you have any other clothes" he asked and this got a small response. She shook her head looking down at her torn trousers and dirty shirt. The shirt was slightly too big for her making her seem even smaller. They were the only clothes she could grab before they had to flee. 

"I do at home though" she said sadly obviously missing it. 

"Would you like to get cleaned up" she nodded her head this time. Steve looked over at Tony expectantly. Tony did his best to avoid meeting Steve's gaze but soon found he was becoming obvious. 

"Why me" he moaned like a child. "Bruce has far more experience with children" 

"No I would rather keep the other guy at bay for now if you don't mind" Bruce butted in, all to aware where this was going. After today he figured it best to keep his distance from the two girls. Both Bruce and Tony looked back at Steve who shook his head. It wasn't surprising. 

"Wait here" Tony called out to the room as he ran off round the corner. 

"Great Stark" Steve shouted back but he was only gone for a few moments before he returned. 

"I have backup" he smiled as he made his way onto the couch and jumped the back to lie flat on it. Around ten minutes later JARVIS announced the arrival of Miss Potts who cautiously stepped off of the lift waving to the two men standing before her. She was always nervous when Tony called her 'urgently'. He had either blown his lab or himself up she was sure of it. 

"Pepper" Tony announced. "You're usually faster than this" he laughed as Pepper slapped him on the arm. 

"Why did you call me Tony" she asked annoyed that nothing appeared to be on fire and she had left an important meeting to get here. 

"Ah yes, meet Alayna". He pulled the little girl in front of him smiling at Pepper. The woman before him wore a look of pure confusion as to why there was a small girl in Tonys tower. Sure she was used to strange occurrences due to the people who surrounded her, but this topped them all. 

Still she took it in her stride and knelt down till she was eye level with Alayna. "You can call me Pepper" she smiled sweetly earning herself a smile in response. 

"Pleased to meet you" Alayna extended her hand just as Steve had done to her previously. Pepper took it gently then stood up. 

"She is Loki's child who is need of our protection" Steve blurted out suddenly. 

"Oh" was all Pepper could muster in her moment of shock. What with the slightly chubby cheeks and dark brown hair she never would have guessed Loki was the father. "Still it's a pleasure to meet you" she said. After all, Tony wouldn't be stood in the same room as her if she were anything like her father. To her this little girl seemed like one of the children she had visited on the many visits to the hospital with iron man. 

"Well how can I be of assistance" she asked the men surrounding her who all looked a little sheepish. 

"We were wondering if you could" Bruce didn't want to say the last part. He felt so childish. 

"Bath her" Tony finished also looking embarrassed. 

"Bath her" Pepper repeated laughing. "Between the three of you you couldn't wash her" they all hung their heads out of both embarrassment. 

"My reason is legitimate. I don't want the other guy to spoil the fun" Bruce said solemnly. 

"Why would he ruin the fun" Pepper asked. 

"She isn't one hundred percent human" Steve stated. "There have been a few...incidents"

"But enough of that" Tony cut in. "Wash now explain later" 

Knowing she would get answers later she reluctantly guided Alayna towards the stairs. "Go down twice and wait in the large white room" Pepper said as Alayna skipped off out of sight. 

"Anything I should know before I take care of your guest" she asked all three. Had it been anyone but Tony she would have refused. But seeing as Natasha and Hill were nowhere in the room she felt it her responsibility to see the small girl is taken care of properly. 

"She's had a tough childhood" Bruce said. 

"Don't make her upset" Steve said. 

"She has a scar on her back. However it looks, it doesn't hurt" Tony said. With a final smile back at them she hurried down the stairs after Alayna, thinking about the last comments. Strange things to tell her about she thought. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"I need to buy some chocolate" Tony suddenly announced, thinking about how he could thank Pepper. She was a girl after all and he had heard all girls love chocolate. They didn't call him a genius for nothing. With a smug look on his face he pocketed his phone and marched over to the lift. He proudly lent against the wall much to the amusement of the remaining team. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Steve quietly moved through the empty room towards the brightly lit city beyond the glass. He held his shield in his hands and walked towards the end of the bed. 

Sitting down in a large, padded armchair, he rested the shield on the bedside table careful to make sure it did not fall. Smiling to himself he lent his elbows on his legs and rested his head in his hands. It had been the first time he had properly sat down all day. He sat there for hours, looking out the window. Only when he heard a rustle or a small murmur did he adjust his position. 

Around two a.m he saw Coulson's eyes flutter open and a small smile twitch across his face. 

"I hope you don't mind" Steve began. "But I watched you whilst you were sleeping"


	15. TLC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So umm... Hi again! Anyone still reading this deserves a medal you really do! 
> 
> What else can I say except sorry for probably the longest delay in more chapters ever...
> 
> Please accept this update of four chapters as my apology! :)

Pepper looked away as Alayna removed her clothes and jumped into the bath. She was instantly mesmorized by the bubbles that frothed up around her till they towered over her laughing form. 

Pepper smiled as she added a tiny bit more bubble bath seeing how excited Alayna looked. The bath she was sat in could have fit ten of Thor easily. It had a control panel which activated everything from a jacuzzi to a champagne dispenser. The actual bathroom was large and covered in white tiles from floor to ceiling. Pepper always wanted to add colour but after Tony picked out red and gold she settled for white. 

Reaching to the side to grab a flannel, Pepper began to wipe away at her arms alarmed as to how quickly the cloth became black with dirt. Underneath she was as pale as Loki. Moving on to her back, Pepper had to use all her composure just to stifle the gasp that followed seeing her scar. Cautiously she wiped around the edges, afraid to cause her any pain. 

Alayna stilled as she felt the much softer pressure on her back. She hunched over slightly, staring at the bubbles frothing in her hands. 

"It doesn't hurt me" she sighed. Pepper jumped slightly as she spoke, thinking she had hurt her. When Alayna's words sunk in she frowned slightly. How long had this child lived with this ghastly tear in her back for. Pepper decided to ask Tony later. After all he had been the one to first tell her about it but she had brushed it aside thinking it was just Tony exaggerating. Pepper was so unsure of what to say next, a feeling she hated. Alayna returned to playing with the bubbles so to save the awkward silence she continued scrubbing the dirt off of her legs. 

The rest of the bath time was fine with no more surprises for either Pepper nor Alayna. Just as she wrapped her in a small towel JARVIS spoke up. Alayna whipped her head round, left and right, trying to find the source of the voice. When she couldn't find it she unconsciously stepped closer to Pepper and tightened the grip on the towel. 

"Ms Potts, Mr stark requests your company on floor eighty seven". He said then went silent. 

"We had better find you some clothes then". She smiled taking Alayna's hand and leading her out of the bathroom. Alayna was still cautiously looking around for JARVIS. "For now you will have to make do with one of Tonys t-shirts" she told her apologetically. 

Reaching a large cupboard she pulled out a light blue t-shirt and a pair of jogging bottoms. Holding them up to the small girl made her realise she had to get her some clothes of her own. 

Alayna took the t-Shirt and slipped it over her head. Surprisingly it wasnt huge on her. It was baggy and fell near her knees but she looked comfortable in it. Pepper removed a tiny sewing kit from a concealed pocket in her dress. Using the scissors she cut off most of the legs on a pair of jogging bottoms. 

Pleased with her handy work she disposed of the scraps and passed them to Alayna who jumped and hopped on the floor trying to pull them up. Thanks to an elasticated waist, they stayed up and Alayna smiled. 

"I love them thank you" she giggled looking at herself in the mirror. She looked like everyone else now, she thought to herself fondly. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~|~~~

The lift pulled them upwards so quickly the numbers on the screen blurred Into code. When the doors slid open Loki, Hel, and Tony all turned around to face them. 

"All clean and I am heading out first thing tomorrow to find her some clothes that fit". Pepper beamed, not noticing Loki. 

"Pepper you are incredible" Tony said as he grabbed her round her waist, pulling her into a large hug. 

"Umm Tony" Pepper whispered suddenly realising the daunting figure of the god of Lies and another girl stood close by. Tony sighed annoyed his moment had been interrupted. He let go of Pepper and turned to face Alayna. 

"Wow she's pale" he shouted unexpectedly making everyone jump. The blackness of the dirt and grime gave the illusion Alayna was quite tanned but reality showed a large contrast. 

"There is nothing wrong with her" Loki corrected with a sneer. Now his strength was returning it took all his will power not to hit the nearest person to him. The sooner they were off Midgard the better. 

Tony started walking down the corridor next to Pepper. "There's two of them" she whispered concerned at how quiet Tony was. It meant he was thinking and that was never a good sign. He merely nodded. The corridor itself was plain white and empty except for a coat rack on the wall and the lights which cast a cosy glow on every surface. They stepped into a large open room which was flooded with spotlights from nighttime New York. The dining table was made of glass with three large wooden chairs around it. The kitchen itself was simple, grey cabinets breaking up the pale walls. 

"This is for us" Loki questioned. He was surprised, a rare feeling for him. No matter how he looked at it he couldn't understand why Iron man himself had gone into any trouble at all furnishing living space for his family. He looked down at Hel who shared the same confused look. He had told her everything that had happened from the moment she was born. She knew as much as he did when it came to the avengers and with a little help from Hawkeye, Loki knew almost everything. 

Just then someone stepped out of the lift. Loki sighed as he knew instantly who it was. After all, not many people made stomping noises when they moved. 

"Man of iron, Clint wishes to inform you that Agent, though unconscious, is stable and will recover" Thor announced proudly. 

Tony laughed to himself whilst Pepper gave him a disappointed look. Thor's smile faltered when he realised Loki was also grinning to himself. 

"Thor his first name isn't agent" Pepper pointed out with a straight a face as she could manage.

"It isn't? Brother were you aware of this"

"Thor everybody was aware of this" Loki scowled looking around for Alayna. He wished she would grow slightly taller, she was small enough to remain out of eyesight when he wasn't looking down. This didn't bode well with him now his idiot brother had led them into the clutches of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

He marched down the corridor, leaving the small talk behind. He entered a large room complete with a desk and one of the comfiest beds Loki believed Alayna to have ever seen. She was curled up in the cloud like quilt gazing out of the window. Her eyes were glowing with the reflection of neon lights and stars from the world outside. 

He carefully moved himself over to her bedside noticing her eyes were barely open now. A smile twitched across her mouth as he sat down, pulling the quilt over her shoulders. 

"Goodnight" she whispered. "I quite like it here" 

"I'm sure you do" he smiled back, though he felt annoyed that Alayna felt at home here. She was supposed to hate it like he did. It would make his plan so much easier. But he could easily change her mind. 

Without realising how tired he was he shuffled out of her bedroom, leaving the door open a fraction, and moving across the hall to his own bedroom. He knew it was his for there was a large sign on the door spelling out 'rock of ages'. 

He glared at the sign as he entered but stole a look back into Alayna's room. He could faintly make her the slow rise and fall of her chest amongst the many pillows and that comforted him to know she was peaceful. 

Tony moved up behind him, smirking to himself when he noticed the door. "Couldn't help myself" he admitted. 

"Thank you" Loki sighed. He didn't realise how tired felt. "It really means a lot" he added noticing Hel testing out her bed in her room, a huge grin on her face. 

"Well thank your brother, it was his idea. I merely gave him the tools" Tony said as he leaned against the wall. "Sorry they're not furnished but I figured you could work your mumbo jumbo on it" 

Loki scowled again at his childlessness and with a final nod made his way into his bedroom. Without removing his clothes he fell back on the bed and closed his eyes. 

"Night dad" Hel called across the hall jokingly. She also seemed happy which foiled his plans even more. She was harder to persuade. 

"Goodnight" Loki called as cheerfully as he could. For now he would make sure his girls were happy and safe. Then he would deal with the dangers that lurked just around the corner. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~ 

Tony strode into the main meeting area for the group. Clint was busy focusing on the large plasma which hung on the wall as he mashed the buttons on the controller furiously. 

The only thing keeping him from leaping out of the chair was Natasha who had used him as a backrest. Her nose was buried in a book and she seemed completely oblivious to the world around her.

Bruce was nowhere to be seen but Steve and Thor turned their attentions from the flickering screen to Tony as he came and sat in between them. 

"So they are asleep" Thor asked. 

"Yea for now" Tony joked stretching out even further. Steve sighed as he moved up even more on the large couch to make space for Pepper who curled up next to Tony. 

"Am I the only one who thinks that that slime ball having kids is weird" Clint said as he threw the controller angrily on the floor. He had been beaten by some kid in France for the forth time this week. 

"I care not how you speak of my family" Thor roared. "His children are of no threat to you or this world"

"Did you even know the youngest existed" Natasha questioned spitefully. Thor shifted awkwardly in his seat. He was always bad at hiding his emotions. 

"You mean to tell me those girls are news to you as well" Steve gasped. "Can they be trusted" he directed the question at everyone not just Thor. 

"It is true I was unaware Loki had another child but I promise you they will bring you no harm" The instant reassurance from Thor and silence from everyone else proved how uncertain they all were.

"She seemed like any other girl when I was with her" Pepper pointed out. "Apart from never having seen a bath before she could be anybody's child"

"You clearly haven't seen what they did on the way here" Clint yelled. "People are suffering because of her" 

Natasha placed a hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him. It took a lot to make Clint this angry and she knew soon she'd have to give him a wide berth. 

"What does Fury think of all this" Steve asked. "Is he really ok with Loki and his family living right beneath our feet"

"Why have you turned against him so suddenly" Thor bellowed. "Hours ago you were on his side"

"I was never on his side I was on the kids side" Clint shouted trying to be heard over the god's voice. "Tasha's with me on that"

"Excuse me" Natasha choked. "I can speak for myself. And who says I'm on a side in all this" she shot back making Clint glare at her. 

"Since when did arguing get us anywhere" Steve tried to persuade the team but he was drowned out by the rising levels of shouting. Just as Thor started to summon Mjolnir Bruce stepped through the lift. 

"Guys you'll never guess what I found" Bruce began but was quickly cut off. He stood frozen in confusion as he watched Clint apparently challenging Thor, though he was stood on the sofa in an attempt to gain height over the Asgardian. 

Steve was using all his strength to restrain Natasha. She seemed hell bent on attacking either Thor or Tony who was chanting 'fight' over and over. Bruce have the team a wide berth. With Loki now living nearby his heart rate was already higher than normal. 

"Bruce whose side you on" Tony questioned across the room. Pepper, who had been getting ready to leave, walked over to Bruce. Despite the chaos around her she somehow managed to maintain her posture and professional manor as she checked that 'the big guy' wasn't going to make an appearance. 

"I don't take sides" Bruce stammered earning himself a frown from both Thor and Tony. "But I thought we saved people. I thought that was why we were here" he paused collecting his thoughts. "So I'm with him" silence drowned the room as they realised he was pointing at Thor.


	16. No I in team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please any feedback is welcome so feel free to leave a comment below telling me what you think! I only say this because I want to know what you guys want to read! :)

Bruce was pulled rather abruptly into an adjoining room Tony used for storage. Bruce had no idea what was kept in the many boxes stacked high to the ceiling but they all lay gathering dust which meant Tony never came in here. This made Bruce even more intrigued as to what was hidden behind the cardboard. 

"Explain" Tony muttered. The use of one word told Bruce that Tony was confused. It was the teams code word. Usually used most when Bruce or Tony were explaining something, the team at any point could call out 'explain' if they were confused. It worked perfectly as it meant everyone understood without the need for long pauses or everyone understanding different things. 

"These girls are like me" Bruce quickly jumped to the point. He handed a few pages of numbers and charts to Tony who quickly skimmed through them. "Look here" Bruce said pointing to one such graph. "Shield collected their heart rate data from the last twenty four hours". 

Tony examined the chart in the dim lighting of the cupboard. Two lines ran horizontally across the page in equal rises and dips. However the top line, around five in the mourning, spiked off the page then quickly returned back to normal. 

"That should have killed her" Tony muttered looking through the other calculations. 

"But does it remind you of something" Bruce said handing him another graph. This one was identical in the sense that the heart line spiked then returned to normal.

"Whose is this" Tony asked taking the paper from him. 

"Mine" Bruce sighed. "See how similar they are. We both loose control. Except I turn into the other guy and she emits some kind of energy". 

"That's why your on their side" Tony realised at last. "They are just like you" 

"And I would never leave someone to face that lack of control on their own. Especially not children"

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Meanwhile outside everything had returned back to normal. Clint was back to shooting zombies on the screen and Steve was trying his best to work his way round the smart phone Tony had got him. Once again everything was calm much to Peppers annoyance. Unlike the others after an argument she felt stressed and on edge, regardless of whether or not she had participated in the shouting. 

That was something she was envious of, They all had this amazing ability to be deadly then calm in the blink of an eye. Pepper still hadn't worked out if this apparent change only happened at surface level or if they were really that in control of their emotions. Either way it was impressive. 

Before she knew it Tony and Bruce walked out of the cupboard and rejoined the other on the large sofas surrounding the TV. 

"Turn it off Barton" Tony said as he looked at Bruce to take over speaking. Clint turned off the tv, plunging the room into a sudden quietness that rarely occurred in Stark Towers. 

"Well" Bruce stammered at first trying to think of where to start. "What Shield has already managed to find out is that they cannot control this power surge they cause" this earned him some interested looks from Steve and Thor. 

"From the data all I can presume at the moment is that it is linked to their heart rate"

"Like you" Steve questioned staring at a graph that Tony had thrust under his nose. 

"Yes but unlike me their bodies are very different"

"How so" Thor questioned sounding concerned. 

"Well for one they age slower than the average human. Their bodies show high levels of white blood cells which means they can heal faster. Not instantly like Logan can but a lot faster than any of us could"

"Are we talking days, hours" Tony asked wanting to know as much of what they were dealing with as possible. 

"Say two days to fully mend a broken leg" Bruce replied. "That's not all they also found this" he added holding up a copy of an X-Ray. 

"They don't have to eat to survive."

"Well this is all very nice of you discussing my children as if they were a new species for your kind to dissect and examine" Loki spat from the doorway. How long he had been stood there was anyone's guess. 

"Brother they are helping you" Thor broke the silence. A small look of shock flickered across Loki's face but he soon corrected it. He wasn't entirely sure how to react now. He had assumed they were plotting to hand him over to Thanos by morning. A long time ago he prided himself on being able to read people and situations with one look but lately he was realising more times he's wrong than right. Kicking himself for being so reckless he muttered an apology under his breath. 

"Sorry I didn't quite catch that" Clint said spitefully. 

"My apologies" Loki seethed not giving Clint the satisfaction of eye contact. 

"Why are you here Loki" Natasha asked. "What has scared you so much you come to us for help"

Everybody turned to face Loki. "My daughters are in danger. I caused that danger and put them in harms way so now I must protect them"

"But why here" Tony pushed in. 

"Who else to help my brother than the same people who defeated a god and his army" Thor answered. 

Everybody gave Thor a look that said 'he is that god' but nobody questioned it. 

"I don't ask for you to forgive me for what I did or even help me" Loki concluded "but I ask you to save them" he gestured to two shadows stood behind a wall. He had heard them both creep down the stairs behind him, their bare feet pattering on the tiles floor. Hel was first to step forwards into the light almost tripping over with how close Alayna was stood behind her. 

"Look after them, hide them whatever you have to do to ensure they avoid Thanos" he pleaded wrapping an arm around Alayna. 

Thor immediately stepped over to him. "You have had my help from the start brother" 

They both turned to face the others who stood in a line much like an army would. Bruce stepped over first, leaving the pile of papers on the table behind him. Tony wavered to and fro before finally stepping alongside Bruce. 

Pepper who had been silently wishing she were somewhere else the whole time was pulled over by Tony. "You count in this as well" he whispered. She glanced down to Alayna who have her the most innocent smile that made her heart clench in her chest. She stroked her hair gently before gripping Tonys outstretched hand tightly. The tension was more than they could all bare. 

Steve didn't know what to do. He couldn't accept the fact that he might side with the enemy. All that time spent fighting for what was right never did he think he would find himself on the other side. He looked over to the only person who could give him the answer. 

A simple nod from Natasha sealed away any doubt he had as he stepped across the room. He stood up straight and proud as he always did when he made a discussion. 

Natasha left Clint's side to join Pepper. Loki knew she had only joined his side as a means to rectify her past. Saving two lives for the countless she's taken away. Hardly a fair deal. 

Clint remained rooted on the spot. Nobody expected him to move right away. He held onto his past, emotional as it was he had always felt better knowing that despite all the hurdles, he was stood here now. That's something they all liked about him, he was always himself, Avengers or no avengers. But now those emotions put him in a situation he could never had prepared himself for. Join the avengers or not.


	17. Team vote

Natasha tried to make eye contact with Clint, to let him know she was ok with whatever choice he made, but he refused to lift his eyes from Loki. 

It's both amazing and frightening to watch every second tick by. To hear every rotation of time as it goes past. In those moments it is just you and your thoughts. People around you become nothing but a blur. Some may describe it as peaceful but for Clint it was excruciating. He had spent too much time thinking about the decision before him. Now it was nothing but a tangled nest of possible outcomes, and many of then resulted in the demise of him and his teammates. 

A voice drew him back from his nightmare. But not one he was expecting. 

"Clint" Hel asked in a worried tone. "Clint" she asked again after more moments of unmoving silence from the archer.

It was then that Clint took his first step forwards, raising his head to meet Hel's relieved face. He moved in between her and Natasha, sighing with relief that Loki hadn't brainwashed him. Natasha glanced up at him with an expression he's never seen her wear before. Deep down her mind was reeling with reasons as to why he came when Hel called to him not her. 

"This is what you have all decided. No more questioning your decision" Thor said in a very controlled manner. "It is late brother you and your family must rest"

Loki shuffled the two girls back towards the lift. They got in and Alayna waved goodnight before the doors sealed them off the group. Loki, who hadn't joined them in the lift, turned around. 

"I do not know how long we will remain here. But could you give them a childhood" he asked before disappearing from view. 

Now if you had asked any normal person to give a child a childhood it would be a simple ask. However Loki had asked a group of people with more childhood terrors and sleepless nights than any other normal person.

To this request nobody had an answer or even a place to begin. "Sleep on it" Steve called out making his way to his own room. He was exhausted and never functioned well when he was tired. "We will talk more in the morning"

Tony was quick to escort pepper to the lift, holding her hand and talking in hushed voices. Clint took the less conventional route to his floor. Thor looked on in confusion as he removed the air vent and slipped inside. 

Natasha rolled her eyes, deciding she's meet him via the stairs. Taking two at a time she sprinted up the many flights of stairs, barely breaking a sweat. 

"Night big guy" Bruce called out, grabbing a glass a water before he also delayed to his rooms. 

Thor stood alone in the large room wondering what to do. He neither felt ready to sleep nor stay awake. Something told him Loki would not like to talk right now and there was only one person he wished to see again. 

Striding over to one of the many phones Tony owned he carefully pressed each key. His eyes lit up in triumph when he head the dialling sound and familiar voice announce themselves. 

"Jane" he sighed. It really had been of long since he last heard her voice and now he was alone he was reminded just how much he had missed her. "Where are you" 

"Don't move ok. I'm coming. I've missed you too" be beamed. And with that he stepped out into the balcony and shot up high into the night sky. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Light. That was all Loki saw, the sunshine bursting through the window, bathing her in its golden glow. It shattered his darkened mind and flooded his eyes with a whole new image. Happiness. 

"It's a girl" she beamed up at him as he fell to his knees by her side. He placed a hand to the little bundles forehead as he gazed down at his daughter. 

Before he knew it. He was now stood under an archway, his mother stood in front and cooing at the tiny girl in her arms. He was dressed once again in his Asgardian attire, a sharp contrast from the cascading flowers that tumbled down from balconies above them. "Loki she is beautiful" Frigga smiled. "Just like you" she added turning around. "What did you name her?"

"Hel" he replied proudly moving closer. As Frigga reached for Loki's hand she started to fade. Loki sighed deeply as he wished for just one more moment in his mothers company. 

"Loki won't you come to bed" a woman's voice called out to him from the large bed they shared. "Alayna's not going to stay asleep forever" 

How could he resist her he thought to himself as he made his way towards the large four poster bed that lay in the middle of the room. With a swish of his hand he lit a dozen candles, casting a warm glow throughout the room. He shifted himself next to the perfect figure who was grinning from ear to ear. 

"So perfect" he whispered in her ear as they held each other tightly, their lips but inches from the others. He closed the gap and captured her lips between his. She moved impossibly closer to him as he deepened the kiss. 

"I love you" she sighed deeply against his chest, her head nestled on his shoulder. 

"Don't ever leave me" he sighed back, slipping a hand around her waist protectively as they fell into the sweet nothingness that was sleep. A small gurgle had them both sitting up and looking towards the basket at the foot of the bed. They were met with the beaming eyes of a little girl who was halfway through clambering out of the basket. 

"Careful little one" Loki smiled as he picked her up. 

Before Loki could take another breath the candles had turned into roaring fires that swept through the rooms and corridors. Screams filled the air as he searched frantically for her. Calling her name over and over, he burst into the last remaining room in the house. 

"Loki" a weak voice called out through the smoke. Moving past a collapsed beam he ran to the corner where she lay, slumped against the wall, cradling Alayna tightly to her chest. 

"We must go" he pleaded taking her hand. She only had the strength to hold onto their child as Loki picked her up in his arms and started to make his way out of the burning house.

The inferno was unbearable. Screams and wails came from Alayna who gripped tightly to her mother and father. Loki grunted with the effort of a thousand burns across his skin and carrying his family to safety. 

He kicked down a door that led them to fresh air outside. He could see the light quite literally as he stumbled to get out of the fire. A large ember fell on his arm, burning him to the bone. He moaned in pain as he momentarily dropped her to her feet. 

A large crash made them both look up. A piece of wood was splitting under its own weight right above them. Loki went to pick up his girls again but she stopped him. 

Handing Alayna over to him she have him a final kiss. "You cannot save us both" she called out over the roar of the fire. 

He stood rooted where he stood till she pushed him out towards the door a second before the beam came crashing down. 

Smashing through a fallen door Loki emerged with his daughter wrapped tightly under his cloak. "Please" he screamed back into the house willing her to come running through the door. "Please" he screamed again, tears now rolling down his face as he clung to the precious life in his arms. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Loki's eyes burst open as he ripped the covers off of his body. Sitting up he buried his head in his lap taking deep breaths and wiping the few tears away that had leaked onto the pillow. Glancing to the side of him he noticed the small being of Alayna curled up alongside him, still deep in sleep. 

Lying backdown he moved himself behind her and pulled her into his arms. She shifted in her sleep till she was nestled against his chest as his arms surrounded her like a fortress. 

For the rest of the night he lay like this. Not wanting to fall asleep again he concentrated on the steady rise and fall of her chest. More tears fell onto her small head as he gently stroked the hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ears. He sighed heavily as realised once again he had let his guard down and this time he didn't have his mother here to talk to.


	18. Tour de Stark

Have you ever woken up one morning from a particularly memorable dream, and everything to do seems unreal, like somehow your still in the dream. You expect to wake up any second but the feeling gets more infuriating the longer it lasts. 

Everybody was on edge that morning. They sat around a large table with their three 'guests' sat at one end with Tony, Bruce, and Steve staring blankly from the other end. Bruce was more interested in avoiding eye contact and finishing his toast. 

Loki sat in silence watching as Hel and Alayna tucked into big bowls of cereal. It was their first proper meal in a few days and though they didn't need it they always felt better after eating. He also felt as though they were eating because the other occupants of the room were. They rarely liked to be doing anything differently from those around them so it seemed only natural they should be eating.

The absence of the archer was pleasing Loki, no end however without Thor here Loki couldn't help but let his mind wander as to what the avengers might have in store for him. Tony for one hadn't stopped staring at the three of them since he sat down. He desperately wanted to say something but without his only true ally he thought it best to keep his mouth shut. 

"We thought you might like a tour" Steve piped up after finishing his last mouthful of toast. "Since you'll be staying here a while" He glanced at the two scientists to his right but they refused to look up from their tablets. Picking up everybody's plates and bowls he waiting for a response. 

"Thank you for your gracious offer" Loki smiled. "When do we start" 

"I'm ready now if you are" Steve replied. He had decided to lead the tour since Tony still hadn't lifted his eyes from his tablet. It didn't even look switched on but Steve didn't have time to question it. 

"Perfect. Lead the way" Loki jumped up from the table falling in line behind Steve who took then straight to the top. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Alayna and Hel were both mesmerised by the technology surrounding them. Steve was worried at first that her never prose Alayna away from the window in her room. Apparently she had never seen a city before which stunned him. 

After showing them the balcony, Thor's room, the gym, the swimming pool (Hel didn't want to leave after seeing the massive flume Tony had recently installed. Quite why Tony needed a flume he didn't know), the cinema,Tonys lab, the hospital wing, their floor, His floor, the communal area, the kitchen, the garage and a dozen other rooms they arrived at Natasha's floor. 

According to Steve she had won a bet against Tony and bagged the best view In the tower. Loki failed to see how a tower this big could have just one good view but Steve seemed adamant about it so they followed. 

Approaching the window at the end of the corridor Loki see the way the earth beneath him curved. Steve pointed to two buildings either side of the city. They both had large poles crowning the top and Steve had timed it perfectly, the moon was resting on top of one whilst the sun balanced on the other. A completely straight line that served for quite a spectacular view. 

A creaking behind them made Loki's head whip around. Clint was completely naked except for his boxers which he was holding up to cover himself. Trying his best not to alert the group he was attempting to make it to the lift. When the lift arrived the doors creaked open making everyone turn around. 

"Clint" Steve questioned blushing and looking elsewhere. Loki's hand immediately fell in front of Alayna's eyes to shield her from the idiot in front of them. 

"Morning" Clint stammered awkwardly steeping back into the lift, gripping the bundle of clothes that shielded him from the others. "Lovely weather isn't it" he choked, the doors taking far too long to close for his liking. He buried his face in his hands just as the doors closed making Hel laugh hysterically.

"Moving on" Steve blushed again opting to take the stairs this time. Hel was still giggling as they reached the kitchen again. Loki made a mental note I the floor number bowing to never step foot there again. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Hill, Coulson and Fury were all sat around his large desk staring at a large screen across the large room. Fury never did anything in half measures and when it came to his office he wanted enough space to be able to love in it should the need arise. 

"These sound waves are" Hill asked. 

"Playing over every one of our satellites as we speak" Fury sighed. 

They all sat in silence listening to the muffled clanking through the speakers. It wasn't even turned up full volume but it made the speakers crackle and hiss loudly. 

"What do you recon it is" Coulson asked. "Some kind of message"

"We have yet to decrypt any message that may be playing right now. As far as we can tell it's coming from a long way away". 

"Do we tell them sir" Hill questioned. 

"Not yet. Until we know what it is the avengers stay out of contact understood". Hill and Coulson both nodded before departing. 

"They've got enough madness to be dealing with right now" Fury spoke aloud to the empty room as he recliners in his chair and continued listening to the tin sound on repeat.


	19. Settling in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I went to EGX in London at the weekend and this is partly where this chapter came from. Hope you like it :)

"Sir there are four large parcels being delivered to you now under the name of Potts" JARVIS announced. Tony furrowed his brow in confusion when the delivery man dropped off the boxes seeing as they were all nearly his height and weighed a tonne. 

"Oh good they've arrived" Pepper came running in, a pair of scissors in hand. 

"What has" Tony questioned. 

"Their clothes" Pepper sighed opening up the first of the four boxes. Inside was everything from t-shirts to skirts, jeans to dresses, as well as an assortment of shoes and accessories. 

"How much did you spend" Tony spluttered realising just how many items Pepper had bought. 

"Tony regardless of how much I spent you have earned that three times over by now so you needn't worry" Pepper reassured him with a quick kiss then picked up a pile of clothes and made her way towards Hel's bedroom. "Are you going to lend a hand" she called out. 

Tony still stood amongst the explosion of clothes on the floor before attempting to pick up a box. After doing little but shift it slightly across the floor he gave up and opted for calling Steve instead. After all Pepper had never specified whose hand he had to lend. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"These are for us" the two girls said in unison smiling widely as they looked at their bursting wardrobes. 

"Of course" Pepper beamed, gesturing for them to take a closer look. Hel immediately grabbed a pair of jeans and a blue t shirt with a smily face on it. Holding it up to her frame she found it was the perfect size. This took her by surprise, she had never known someone who wasn't her family to ever give her something. 

Running her fingers lightly over the other garments she felt a tightening in her chest. As if she would rip them she took a dress from its hanger with feather light touches. Everything in here was truly beautiful to her, and it was all hers. 

Running over to Pepper she hugged her tightly a small tear escaping the corner of her eye. "Thank you" she breathed heavily unable to control the happiness she felt in this moment. Alayna had much the same reaction but took some persuading to remove Tonys clothes that she was still wearing. 

"But I am quite comfortable thank you" she squealed, swinging her legs off the corner of the bed. 

"Come on A" Hel pushed. "Bet I can get changed before you" she teased pulling her off the bed. 

"No way" Alayna squealed grabbing a pair of trousers and a stripy top. 

"You're on" Hel muttered quickly removing her shoes. Alayna was one step ahead of her in that she walked most places barefoot. Alayna would do anything of she knew it was a competition just like her dad. 

"Have fun" Pepper called out leaving the two sisters to themselves. On her way out she bumped into Loki as she rounded the corner. 

"Sorry" they both apologised at once realising they were both day dreaming. 

"Umm. They are trying on clothes in their rooms if you were looking for them" Pepper said cautiously. She still didn't trust him. 

"Clothes" Loki questioned, not remembering them having bought any with them. Not that they had time to grab essentials such as clothes when they had first fled Arbor. 

"Oh Tony and I bought them some clothes to wear whilst they stayed here" Pepper blushed realising how silly it seemed that Loki might not even stay here much longer yet they had a years worth of clothes. "It was nothing honestly" sensing a protest boiling up within the god. 

"You bought them clothes" Loki questioned, dumbfounded. "W-why"

"Why wouldn't we" Pepper smiled before making her way through the corridor. 

Loki stood in complete silence listening to the laughter that was coming from the room down the hall. He smiled a warm smile that reassured himself more than anyone that his daughters were safe here. 

Deciding to get some fresh air he left the building and out onto the street below. Figuring the people of New York wouldn't want to see him again he donned a pair of jeans and a loose fitting shirt. He altered his appearance slightly, getting rid of his long black hair and replacing it with short choppy brown similar to Alayna's.

He glanced a reflection of himself in a shop window and smiled to himself at the outcome. Unrecognisable. And with that he allowed himself to be carried with the crowd through the City. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Clint sat on the sofa with Natasha lent against his side. She had never even seen a video game till she had met Clint and now she played almost everything he did. At first it was not out of choice but Clint seemed adamant that she would enjoy them so she reluctantly agreed. 

At first she thought them boring. 'Whats the point in killing people in a game for enjoyment when we can do it in the real world'. But after a while she started to find them more relaxing than anything else. Leaning against Clint she felt at home whenever the curled up on the sofa and stared at a screen for hours on end. 

Today however, they had a set of curious eyes focusing on their every move. Alayna sat on the opposite side of the sofa not blinking as she watched them both mash buttons. 

"What's this" they heard a quiet voice ask. Clint paused the game to explain what a video game was. She seemed interested if not a little confused and Natasha figured she had never even seen a TV before. 

"What are you playing right now" 

"It's called Destiny" Natasha answered this time passing her controller over to Alayna. She turned it over in her hands looking at every detail. 

"Ready" Clint asked. Alayna nodded and started to press the buttons getting used to the feel of this strange contraption in her hands. "Just hit that button whenever something runs towards you ok"

Clint had changed the settings slightly whilst Natasha was explaining the controls to her. Tony insisted on modding any games he played. Clint knew he got bored quickly and only modded then to prove he could, not because he enjoyed it. As it was this particular mod was perfect for this situation. 

As he made his way across a bare landscape her could see some spaceship thing land in the distance. Alayna was looking very confused but still followed Clint's character closely. As the first alien started charging towards them Clint couldn't help but see the resemblance between the figure in screen and the Chitari they had fought before. Typical Clint though as he made short work of it. 

This ones yours he said letting Alayna awkwardly hit and get hit till it fell to the floor in front of her. When it hit the floor her controller shook on her hands causing her to yelp and drop it. Natasha laughed despite herself. 

"It does that don't worry" she explained. "When you kill one" she added. Alayna looked a little less worried but still picked up the controller with great care. 

They continued playing till Alayna successfully took down three in a row. Sending quite pleased with herself she lept forwards and hugged both Clint and Natasha. Clint immediately stilled having never been hugged by a child before. His whole brain was working overtime with the amount of thoughts running through it. After an awkward gap he reached his arm around each girl and hugged them tightly, the only thought in his mind being that he could he used to this.


	20. Friday night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to move house and going on holiday at the same time isn't helping me write new chapters!  
> I am hoping to get another two updates before I leave on Wednesday but then I'm afraid that's it from me till late next week.   
> Thank you for the Kudos and comments they really mean a lot to me that you take the time to read my work! :)

"Who wants pizza" Thor bellowed from the balcony outside. He strode into the room carrying twelve extra large pizzas in one hand and Moljnir in the other. 

The patter of feet could be heard a mile away as everyone came running to greet Thor but mainly to eat the food he had bought with him.

Loki was grateful for Thor's return having been left to deal with Tony and Bruce for a whole day. Constant questions about Hel and Alayna grew tiresome after the first twenty. 

"Trust me you shall love it brother" Thor said noticing Loki's quizzical look at the strange food before him. Alayna and Hel were tucking into their first slice without any hesitation so he took small mouthfuls checking it was ok. 

"What film are we watching tonight" Bruce asked reaching for his second slice. 

"Hel how about you choose" Steve smiled. "I saw you looking through them this morning". 

"I have never used one before. How would I know what to pick" she replied a little embarrassed. 

"Just go based on the covers. I think that's what Tony does anyway" Clint teased. 

"I'll have you know my collection is one of the most sought after in the world" he retaliated straightning up at the table. They all smiled and continued eating. It was their favourite time of the week, Friday nights. For just one evening a week everyone felt as though they were just a group of friends catching up for pizza and films. For one day a week they were people not heroes and that was the best freedom in the world. 

Hel later picked out how to train your dragon. To say she was picking it for the adults was a lie but they all agreed having not seen a children's film in quite some time.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Loki sat at one end of the sofa with Alayna sat on the floor between his legs. Hel sat crossed legged in the middle and Steve sat spread out on the other side. The others were curled in other positions on the other sofa. 

Once the film had started Alayna shuffled out from behind Loki's legs to sit in the centre. She stared up at the ginormous screen, her mouth wide open. Hel looked cautious as she lent into Loki's chest wrapping an arm around him. 

Thor smiled from his seat across the room. His brother seemed so happy here with his family. It had been a long time since Thor had seen him like this and it gave him hope for the future. It was then that he remembered why he was sat here I the first place. There was a looming threat hanging over the tower and Thor wondered how long Thanos would wait before searching for Loki, if he hadn't already. 

"Uncle Thor, uncle Thor look" Alayna said shoving a piece of paper under his nose. Quite where she had gotten it baffled him but he figured Loki must have been practising whilst away. On the piece of paper was a very childish yet clear drawing of Toothless and Hiccup. 

Thor smiled and congratulated Alayna on her drawing. When she giggled he was reminded yet again of how young she was. What a horrid start to life Thor thought as he pictured the grizzly scar across her back and how scared she was when he had first met her. 

As the film drew to a close Alayna had fallen asleep led against Thor's leg. Loki and Hel were both dozing off as well so Thor picked up Alayna and carried her to her bedroom. 

When he went back for Hel she grumbled something about being old enough to go to bed alone but doesn't resit when he carried her on his back to her room. As he lays her down she laughs slightly. 

"Look at me watching a children's film then getting carried to bed" 

"Look at your father he is about to do the same" Thor joked as he closed her door behind him. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Picking up the empty bowls from the floor Natasha made her way over to the sink. She dumped them in without washing then knowing Steve would clean ten before she woke up. That was the great thing about having Steve around, he liked everything to be organised. 

She pinned up Alayna's drawing on the fridge smiling to herself as she did so. 

"She's a cute kid I'll give her that" Clint smirked behind her wrapping his arms around her. 

"Why the change of heart" 

"She hasn't killed anyone in twenty four hours, that's always a winner with me" he said jokingly, leading her away. 

"I wouldn't let Loki hear you talking like that" she warned. 

"That bag of cats, watch him try and lay a finger on me" he threatened. 

"Barton even I was able to lay a finger and several punches on you that day"

"That doesn't count I let you win" he smiled kissing her neck softly. Natasha lent into his touch as she smiled to herself. Typical clint never one to admit his defeats. Deciding to give him the satisfaction this time she turned around to kiss him. 

"Of course you did" she murmured.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Thor was leaving for his own rooms when he heard the click of a door. He turned around to watch Alayna sleepily walk over to Loki's room. She gently eased the door open and slipped inside. 

Intrigued as to what she was doing Thor quietly turned around and peered through the crack. Alayna was curled up like a cat alongside Loki who was encircling her with his arms protectively. They both looked so peaceful. 

He silently pulled the door too and went to check on Hel. If she wasn't sleeping well she certainly let Loki know. He looked in one her bed to see it crumpled but empty. Frowning her stepped inside. 

Against the bright night he saw her shadow sat in front of the window. He walked over to join her and stared out into the city beyond. 

"It's beautiful isn't it" she said, her eyes not leaving the view. 

"That it is" Thor agreed noticing features on the landscape he had never seen before. 

"But not as green as Arbor" she sighed. 

"Tell me more about this place" Thor questioned intrigued to find out about where these girls had been living. 

"The whole world is made up of a thick canopy of trees and flowers so colourful it makes the earth look dull." She spoke quickly as if she was looking at the realm right now. 

"Very few people live there but those that do live in house that soar amongst the branches. Bridges and ropes connect houses and the market place is just like this city. People everywhere with loud noises and strong smells. Food and clothing on sale with sellers shouting out their best prices." 

"It sounds much like Asgard" Thor thought out loud. "Though I doubt you have seen it when everything is calm" 

"My father thought it safer to live where nobody knew who we were but I would have loved to have grown up in Asgard the way he talks about it".

This comment caught Thor off guard. Loki had told her stories of Asgard that made her want to live there. 

"What's did he speak of"

"Everything and anything" she smiled "about you growing up together, the games you played, the adventures you went on. The feasts and gatherings and all the secret rooms hidden around the realm. It sounded like so much fun" she sighed raising her eyes to meet Thor's very solemn face. "Of course recently his stories have been slightly less joyful but I'm old enough to realise he has far more good memories than bad ones". 

Thor pulled Hel till her head was resting on his shoulder. It felt comforting, like a part of Loki was with him in that moment. 

"He also trusts you more than anyone else" Hel added knowing Thor needed to hear it. His face told her these stories were news to him. "That's why you found us in your Chambers, he thought he was going to die" after a moments hesitation she finished her sentence using the same words he had spoken to her before they left Arbor.

"I have to see my brother. I can't leave without saying goodbye"


	21. Breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter before I get on the plane! (Yes I am posting this from the airport and yes my friends think I'm obsessed)  
> Thank you for reading this it really means a lot to me :)

Steve woke up at exactly half past seven every morning. He didn't mind that other people were already up but it ensured he got at least two hours each day without Tony. Usually it was more but since Pepper had gone away for a business meeting Tony would be up earlier just to occupy his time with annoying everyone else or blowing up his lab, again. 

Throwing on pair of trousers and a shirt he made his way upstairs. He was always smartly dressed even when he wore just a t shirt, it was one of the things from his past that he just couldn't let go of. 

"Hello" two voices called out in unison as he stepped out of the lift. 

"Good morning" he smiled back as he realised the two girls were sat watching the second movie with Bruce nestled in between them. "Didn't realise you were one for these kind of films" 

"They are far more creative" Bruce explained knowing Steve had only ever seen him watching Tony's choice of film.

Guns explosions and quirky one liners was what he had to endure most nights before the rest of the team came to live here in the tower. It was a welcome break when Natasha wanted to see Sherlock Holmes and Thor wanted to watch Jurassic park claiming that in some realms, these creatures still existed. 

As the movie drew to a close everyone's stomached were grumbling. Steve offered to make pancakes and after explains to Alayna what a pancake was she seemed very excited to try one. Steve usually made breakfast for the team, if he didn't he knew they wouldn't eat. Tony would find some excuse and Natasha would always hit the gym before disappearing till lunch. 

The only one Steve didn't have to worry about was Thor. He spent half his life in the kitchen and JARVIS made daily food orders to three different supermarkets just to keep up. 

Bruce fetched Alayna some paper and pencils for her to draw and got out bottles and jars of sauces and toppings. 

"It must feel amazing to fly" Hel suddenly spoke, her mind obviously still thinking about the film they had just watched. "Do these creatures exist in real life" this made Alayna also look up intrigued. 

"What Dragons" Hel nodded her head. "No I'm afraid not though it would be pretty cool if they did"

"Oh" Alayna whined.

"Hey who says you need a dragon to fly" Tony smirked as he entered the room. He was wearing his 'I've got plan' face and Steve felt nervous every time he saw that look. 

"You can fly" Hel quizzed noticing nothing special about the person before where that would enable flight. "How"

"He cannot fly on his own" Thor mocked as he was drawn by the smell of food towards the kitchen. In most instances with Thor you heard him before you saw him.

"What is all this talk of flying" said an annoyed sounding voice behind him as Thor dragged an 'only just woken up' Loki behind him.

"Tony can fly" Alayna said cheerfully as Steve placed the first lot of pancakes in front of them. "Do it now" she said excitedly. 

"I can't do it now" Tony explained. "I need my suit". 

"Thor can fly" Hel grinned in Tony's direction, her mouth full of pancake. Tony stuck his tongue out at the older girl earning himself a laugh from Banner and an unamused look from Steve. 

"Oh good pancakes" Natasha skipped past Bruce making him jump slightly. He never heard her coming even when he was listening for it. 

"Look I drew a picture of you" Alayna slid another drawing across the table. This one was of all the avengers. There was Tony wearing a simple black t shirt whilst Thor was dressed in armour and a red cape. They all gathered around to look at it marvelling at how innocent they all looked with smiling faces and big eyes. 

"You're quite the artist" Said Steve sitting down with the last plate of pancakes. "I think it should go next to your other one" 

Hel pinned it up on the fridge proud that these new people were making Alayna feel welcome. It didn't often happen when she took her somewhere new. People seemed to sense something about her that they clearly didn't like, keeping their distance and talking in hushed voices whenever they walked past. This place felt like a kingdom in comparison. 

"Meet me upstairs on the balcony in two hours" Tony directed at Hel and Alayna. "I've got a surprise for you" he smirked. 

"I would like to know what this surprise entails" Loki asked nervously. 

"Who cares it's bound to be fun" Hel smiled clearly dismissing Lokis warning look he gave her. 

"I don't mean to brag but yes, it will be fun" 

"Tony would I be allowed to know" Thor asked trying to make Loki relax a little. 

"Of course point break, it involves you"

"I do not understand" Thor said confused. 

"You'll find out in two hours" Tony winked at Loki who glared at him from across the table. He didn't like where this day was heading.


	22. Flying.

Two hours passed and nobody had seen or heard from Clint, Thor or Tony. Steve was getting anxious due to the fact that Sam wasn't answering his calls either.

Steve found out Hel was rather impatient when it came to waiting and spent the time idly moving from activity to activity. She managed to watch the start of at least fifteen films before eating another pop tart and moving on to the next one. Even Alayna was getting dizzy watching her pace backwards and forwards from room to room trying to occupy herself. 

"Please sit down" Alayna whined trying to finish the puzzle Bruce had bought her. "Help me finish this" 

"Look A, I hate waiting ok" Hel sulked impatiently. 

"Why"

"You will understand when your older" she sighed slumping down at the kitchen table and resting her head on her arm. 

"This is about daddy leaving you isn't it" Alayna said swinging her legs to and fro under her chair. 

"And if it is" Hel crossed her arms angrily. 

"He's here now so you don't need to worry" she chirped placing another piece into place.

"I always need to worry if he's concerned" 

"Uncle Thor doesn't worry"

"Doesn't worry about what" Thor shouted through the window on the balcony. He was grinning widely with four figures stood behind him. 

"Please tell me your here because two hours is up" Hel groaned leaping off of her chair. 

"That very reason" Thor beamed leading them towards the edge of the balcony. The wind was gentle today as it tugged at their hair and Alayna's shirt. She was gripping hold of Thor's hand tightly anxious as to what was going on. 

"So someone tells me you want to fly" says one of the people Alayna had never met. He was dressed in a loose t shirt with a strange metallic backpack on. It reminded her own Tony's suit as she noticed him leaning over the edge. 

"Meet Sam Wilson and Peter Parker" Clint introduced the two people. Hel was immediately drawn to the boy Clint and called Peter, he looked as young as she did and was wearing an awkward grin much like she was.

"Pleasure" Sam said with a tone similar to Steve's, as he shook their hands. Peter waved nervously as Tony slapped him on the back. 

"Ready" Tony shouted over his repulsers as he soared into the air. 

"As I'll ever be" Clint responded readying his bow.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Before they had anytime to think Tony had grabbed Alayna and Hel by the shoulders and hoisted them high above the ground. Screams of both fear and hysteria could be heard especially when Tony dangled them above the city. 

Hel uselessly clutched at Tony's, screaming to be put down whilst Alayna seemed frozen in fear. 

"Ready to fly" the robotic voice called out to the over the noise of the wind and the city below. 

"Noooo" screamed Hel as Tony let go of the two girls. They spin faster and faster towards the earth without showing any signs of slowing. 

All Hel could hear was her heartbeat in her ears and the roar of air as she pushed through the layers separating her from the hard concrete below. As she started to scream again she felt an arm wrap around her waist and she was suddenly being lifted back upwards. 

Her feet were jelly as Thor placed her down on a nearby roof, she lent into his laughing form as she waited for her heart to return back to her chest and breath to fill her lungs. 

"Never...do...that...again" she panted, shaking her head slightly. 

Just then laughter filled the sky as Hel looked up in time to see Alayna spinning upwards in Sam's grip. Her arms were spread wide as she was placed gently next to Hel. 

"That was so much fun" she screamed reaching towards Sam for another turn. 

"Calm yourself. Let's give your sister a chance to recover" Thor comforted Hel. 

"Don't worry about her she's too scared to give it another go" Alayna sighed turning her back on Hel. 

"What did you say" Hel spat annoyed.

"She's always been the boring one" Alayna continued. "At least that's what daddy says"

With that Hel had stormed over to the edge of the building, balancing precariously off the edge. 

"The boring one you say" she seethed as she threw herself off the side. 

"Oh my god" Sam screened out, activating the suit and diving off after her. 

"That wasn't very nice" Thor sighed. 

"I didn't really mean those things uncle Thor. I jus really wanted her to give it another go" she smiled sweetly. "Can I have another go"

"Of course" Thor sighed reaching out and pulling her onto his back. "Hold on"

Thor launched himself into the air feeling tiny hands grip tightly onto his shoulders. "The man of iron is beside us get ready to jump"

"Ok" Alayna managed to whisper between fits of laughter. Thor grabbed hold of her waist and threw her out to the side. A moment of free falling before she was swooped up by the robot. 

"Again" Alayna screamed and continued to be thrown between Thor and Tony who each time threw her just that little bit higher. She screamed and laughed as she stared at the city below, her stomach doing flips and twists inside her. She would never grow tired of that feeling. 

Looking to the side she noticed Hel was balancing on the back of Sam. He was flying straight so as not to cause her to fall and she had her arms spread wide, a huge smile plastered on her face. 

"Ok this is amazing" she screamed out to the world letting Sam twist and flip just like toothless did in the movies. For ages the two girls were tossed around the skyline, from building to building, landmark landmark. 

Breathless and awestruck they all landed on the top of an apartment building a few miles away form Stark tower. You could faintly see the imposing building in the distance with a clear line stretching towards it before them. 

Peter and Clint strolled over to them. "Have fun" Clint asked. 

"I thoroughly enjoyed myself" Tony smirked lifting his face plate. 

"I meant" Clint tried to finish his sentence but was interrupted again by Thor. 

"As did I man of iron" he chuckled. Stepping out of the way for Peter. 

"They're all yours" Tony signalled and fired up his suit, soaring across the city towards the tower. 

"Hold out your arms like this" Peter demonstrated as he removed two bracelets from his pockets. Hel held out her arms and watched as Peter fastened the large bands around her wrists. They felt cold against her skin and her heart rate was still beating out of her chest from the adrenalin. 

"Ok your good to go. Try hitting that pole over there" Peter finished, demonstrating how to activate the webbing. Hel held up her arm and fired a short length at what she thought was the pole but turned out to be Tony's face. 

"Sorry" Hel smiled as everyone else laughed hysterically as Tony went to wipe it away but got his hand stuck on the material. 

"JARVIS help" Tony gasped as he hopped around trying to release himself from confinement. 

"Hold up" Clint shouted reaching for his phone. "Ok continue" he smirked. 

For ages Tony struggled with the cement like substance on his face with no one stepping forwards to help him. In the end he had to use his repulser much to his annoyance. He definitely wanted to talk to Peter later about this stuff and get some samples. 

"Right shall we" he sighed stretching his arm. He had to admit it must have looked quite funny from where they were standing. 

"Right away" Thor smiled picking Alayna up and placing her on Clint's back. "Hold on and do not let go"

"Ok" Alayna whispered into Clint's shoulder as she hung on tightly. 

"Clint shall swing you using his bow then I will be waiting to catch you at the other end" Thor explained as Alayna nodded in agreement. 

Clint stepped up onto the ledge, the roads a good twenty stories down. He could feel Alayna tense up as she peered cautiously over his shoulder. He was as relaxed as someone having a spa session, this was where he belonged. 

They watched as Peter helped Hel use the deceives to swing herself across the city. Though she wasn't as graceful as Peter she was a quick learner and was changing direction and swinging all over the place in no time. 

"Ready" Clint shouted over the roar of the wind. 

"Ready" Alayna screamed back as they plummeted over the side. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Have you seen my children" Loki rasped having run around every floor of the tower in search for them. 

"Umm no sorry" Bruce murmured trying to concentrate on how much solution he was mixing, too much and the whole place would go up in smoke. "But Thor is with them so I shouldn't worry"

"That's exactly why I am worrying" he muttered, leaving the room. 

By the time he reached the gym he felt exhausted. He sat down on one of the tiered benches that lined the room and watched Natasha and Steve spar. 

"I don't suppose either of you have seen my girls have you" he asked, his breathing now back to normal. He never was good at long distance running. As a child he and Thor would have races around Asgard but he never once completed a race without the help of his magic. Whether it was teleporting around corners or using one of his doubles instead. Thor was always to focused on winning to notice anything different about his double. Once he even switched clothes half way through the race and he was none the wiser.

"Last I heard Clint was heading up to the roof with Thor, prehaps check there" Natasha replied not once stopping with her punches and dodges. 

'the roof' Loki thought to himself as thanked her and stepped into the lift. 'What on earth was Thor doing up there'.


	23. The timer has started.

Loki stormed onto the roof squinting in the harsh sunlight. As his eyes adjusted he could see many different figures flying around the rooftops. 

He spotted Stark immediately, a red and gold blot on any landscape, but there were two figures he could not make out. One was dressed in a red suit, tight enough to make even the great captain America jealous. 

"Uh oh party crashers here" Tony joked over the coms unit they were all wearing. 

"Whose that" Peter asked as he helped Hel back on course. Though she almost hit every building she passed she was doing surprisingly well and not freaking out as he had done first time. 

"My dad" he heard Hel call out over the wind, quite how she had heard that he didn't know but he kept his concentration on not letting either of them fall.

Loki's confusion turned to outright panic as he noticed Hel swinging about the city along with the red shadow. His face was contorted in anger that his eldest would risk her life performing with these clowns. 

Just then Falcon swooped down alongside the god. Though he was in talking range he kept as much distance between them as possible. Thor had told him there was nothing to worry about but he didn't trust people like him. Especially when the person before him was a god as well as being messed up. 

"Sam Wilson I presume" Loki acknowledged him. He didn't even have to look at the mechanical wings adorning his back to know who it was. After all he regularly met with Steve to discuss 'business', but Loki knew all too well he was introducing Rogers to the wonders that are the 21st century. 

"Please do tell me why my children are being thrown about the city like toys" he smiled. This made Sam feel even more uneasy, he was so unsure as to how to speak to Loki. He hated Stark for making him be the one to approach him. 

"It was Tony's idea" Sam began, wanting to get the blame off of him. He knew the god was not really this calm and he felt his life span shrinking rapidly the longer he spent on the rooftop. "They were both eger to know what it felt like to fly so we helped" he said almost apologetically. He didn't know what was wrong with him, he usual dealt with situations so much better than he was now. 

"How nice of you" was all Loki said before tuning around and sprinting across the roof, leaving Sam bewildered behind him. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Thor took his mark on a high building near to where Clint's arrow was attached to the side. His role was simple: jump at the last minute and catch Alayna. He sat lazily on the edge admiring the view and the figures of Hel and Peter as they swung around the city. 

He was sure Loki was safe here. After the events of New York the realms, though recovering from war, seemed to accept the fact that the earth was now protected. He knew he could never guarantee safety for the rest of their lives but he hoped this lasted longer than he originally thought it would. 

To think that a few weeks ago he believed his brother to be dead and here he was waiting to catch one of his daughters. He thanked whoever had bought his brother back and prayed that Loki would continue accepting his situation. Odin knows what he'd do if Loki left again. 

Just as Thor was returning from his thoughts, a sharp push to his side made him chuckle. 

"Such a child Loki" he bellowed swinging round to face his brother. "Even as an adult you fail to bring me down" he laughed again as he pushed back rather abruptly causing Loki to stumble backwards. 

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood" Loki seethed, resenting the fact that Thor allowed his own nieces to go flying off with two strangers and that he himself had failed to even knock Thor off balance, despite throwing all his body into him just now. 

"Brother you forget that these people are on our side. No harm will come to them I assure you" Thor smiled.

"I asked you to help us, to protect us" Loki shouted. "I asked them to give them a childhood" he gestured towards the tower. "Do you realise how much it pains me to accept that the only memories I have given then are those of fear and pain"

Thor's smile faltered as he realised Loki's eyes were just as sad as the day he let go of his sceptre. 

"Loki Odinson stop speaking of this nonsense" Thor pulled Loki into a bone crushing hug. "You have two beautiful girls who love and adore you. That doesn't sound like the response someone would give for memories of pain and fear"

"Have you seen their scars Thor. I failed them. I couldn't protect them from something I started. What kind of a father does that make me" Loki sighed. Thor knew Loki was releasing what we emotions he had bottled up inside him but it still astounded him that someone so small could keep so much inside them. 

"Brother I do not understand" Thor replied unsure of how to settle Loki's doubts. He was sure nobody in all the nine realms could have prevented the girls scars and memories. He wished Loki would see that instead of blaming himself. "They are safe now and that is all that matters"

Loki shook his head in doubt as Thor turned around to face the city watching as Clint released his hold on Alayna and sent her soaring towards Asgard. 

"You are kidding me aren't you" Loki scoffed as he watched Alayna floating in the air, powerless to do anything but watch how this scene played out. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Ready kid" Clint smiled feeling the wire begin to tense again.

"Born ready" she smirked back as she felt his arm move around her. She took a deep breath as she was swung in front of clint, nothing but the strength in his arm keeping her from plummeting down to her death. 

"Really high" she screeched out as Clint prepared to let her go. 

"Ok kiddo" he laughed. "Three two one" he called out then lifted her as high as he could. The wind whipped at his shirt as he started swinging backwards watching as Alayna spread her arms wide, a big toothy grin adorning her face. 

As Alayna was staring out over the city she couldn't get over how beautiful and impressive everything was here. Why Loki had never bought her here before she didn't know but she hopped more than anything that they could stay. Everybody was so friendly here unlike on Asgard. 

Her screams of joy filled the air as she laughed hysterically. She noticed Hel swoop in close by and though she had started to fall she forced her head up to face her. 

"Didn't I tell you this place would be fun" Hel screamed out as she watched Alayna somersaulting through the air. All she got was more laughter in return which made her smile. 

All too soon the metalic sound of Mjolnir flying through the air could be heard over the roar of the wind. Alayna was plucked easily from her free fall and she circled into Thor's chest as he flew her back over towards the rooftop where he had left Loki. 

"Daddy daddy did you see me flying" she said running towards Loki with open arms. He picked her up and started talking about it as if there were nothing wrong. Thor just turned around to stare back out over city. He never got enough moments on this planet to appreciate all the humans had done with it. 

"And then Clint sent me flying and I could see how the earth curves and I could see a massive green field just over there" Alayna said excitedly obviously talking about Central Park. 

"Slow down little one, catch your breath" Loki smiled sorting out the hair that had fallen into her face. 

"But did you see me flying daddy. Tony and Sam were playing catch with me and Hel got to fly all her own how lucky is she" Alayna continued rambling as they leaped between buildings and through windows in an attempt to make their way back to the tower. 

"You were amazing" Loki smiled as he held the door to their temporary home open for her. She ran under his arm and greeted Pepper who was just leaving. 

"Where is Natasha miss Potts" she asked politely which made Loki immensely proud for some reason. He figure he was more pleased she had grown up following the example of Hel and not some of the other beings living on Arbor where he had hidden them. 

"Upstairs in the gym" Pepper replied before smiling politely to Loki and leaving. 

"Why on earth do you want to see Natasha" Loki asked curiously. 

"I want to say thank you for today and Natasha know what's everybody likes." She smiled sweetly before running into the lift out of view.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"You should have left them alone Asgardian" a deep growling voice echoes behind Thor. He tightened his grip on Mjolnir and was ready to strike when a large hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pinned him against the wall. 

"Un hand me. I am the son of Odin" Thor roared from behind his restraints. 

"Yes I know all about you Asgardian. Family of Loki but not by blood. You are the son who gave up the throne". The creature quipped. Thor had no idea who or what he was talking to as a large metal mask covered its face. Symbols and letters were etched into its surface which seemed to glow a deep green as it spoke. 

"What do you want with me" Thor struggled against the creature hand failing to move it despair his strength. 

"Not you young Prince. But your brother. And his darling little family of course" the creature sighed behind the mask. "They have caused me a great deal of trouble and I intent to repay them" Thor stilled under the grasp as he realised who he was with. 

"Thanos you have made a grave mistake in coming here" Thor chocked out as the grip around his neck was tightened. 

"That is where you are wrong Asgardian. For am I more powerful than any of these petty humans on this planet. But I'll give you a fair chance to try and protect him" Thanos loosened Thor and dropped him to the floor. 

"You will not get away with this beast" Thor bellowed as Thanos started to stalk away into the shadows. He tried to take a swing at him but he felt so tired. His entire body betrayed his mind as He slumped down onto his knees. His vision was blurry as if he were falling asleep. 

"You see Asgardian there was no possible way my army could have won with your pathetic brother taking the lead" Thanos spat. "Even the capture of his daughters couldn't help him reach his goal". 

Thor groaned in protest. "But he failed me Odinson and took back what was rightfully mine. So forgive me if I make an attempt to get them back". 

"You think Loki is unprotected. As long as you still live my brother and his family will always be protected."

"Heroism at its finest. My how you have made this a challenge for me" Thanos lent in close to the still kneeling Thor. "I do love a challenge"

Thor roared as he lifted his arm as high as he could and whacked Thanos in the shoulder. "Leave this place now or face Odins wrath" thor choked out. 

"Run home to daddy Asgardian" Thanos chuckled almost amused. "You have three weeks till I come for them" standing back up straight he sulked towards the shadows once more leaving Thor breathing heavily under the weight of the air. 

"Three weeks" he repeated again before Thor collapsed on the floor and his shadow was gone.


	24. Opening up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for any of you who are still reading this and did not know I changed the ending to the last chapter as I felt I needed to write more and giving the team three days just wasn't enough time!
> 
> Anyway before you read this chapter take the time to reward yourselves for putting up with probally the most unreliable writer out there! 
> 
> Ok continue :)

As Loki sat reading a book in an armchair he couldn't help but let his mind wander. He listened intently to the small talk Natasha was making as her and Alayna sat quietly at the dining table colouring. 

"This one for Tony" Alayna smiles pointing at a card she had made earlier. 

"He will love it" Natasha smirked as as caught Loki's eyes watching them intently. "What one is for Clint" 

"Umm this one" she held up a light purple one with a an arrow on it. 

"You are very good at drawing"

"Hel taught me how to" Alayna smiled. "When daddy wasn't here she taught me a lot" she smiled over at Loki who had a very solemn look upon his face. Though she thought nothing of it Loki still felt he had failed her, failed them both in fact. He had left Hel to grow up twice as fast and care for the sister she never wanted. 

It surprised Loki how much Hel now cared for Alayna despite almost abandoning her when he had first sought refuge for her all those years ago. The hardest part of his life was returning to Arbor. Despite knowing full well the length of time that had passed, he still expected a little toddler to come crawling around the corner and expect to be picked up. 

As he stepped through the door he noticed several things. One was the amount of books lining each and every wall, stacked high upon chairs and leaning against windows. Secondly was how little the interior of the little house had changed. He had bought the house for Hel when she was born, a present for when she was older. Suspended from the mile high trees he hoped she would find peace in the small realm that was ninety nine percent forest. 

The worst thing he noticed was the small child peering nervously out from behind a very mature Hel. He greeted them with nothing but silence. Too sad and guilty to say hello. Too full of regret and hatred for those who had kept him from his girls to say sorry. 

\---

"Loki Alayna has just gone to give the others her cards" Natahsa snapped him from his day dream. No dream entailed there was happiness. Day mare was a more apt description of what he just experienced. He hadn't even notice Alayna leave and Steve enter the kitchen to start preparing the evening meal. 

"Thank you sorry i was miles away" He apologised marking his page and rubbing his eyes. 

"Thinking about them" she asked. It was unlike her to meddle in people's personal lives (unless it was part of her mission of course) but she was intrigued as to what the god thought about when he sat and read.

"Am I that obvious" Loki said. Though he tried saying it as if it were a joke his voice still sounded distant and serious. There was a silence that filled the room, Natasha had taken her place on the sofa and was curled up against the arm rest. Both were sealed in their own minds till Loki broke the peace. 

"Why are you helping me" he asked sternly. He kicked himself for being so abrupt and letting his curiosity get the better of him. It was stupid questions like that tha always landed him in confrontation or trouble. 

"Pardon" Natasha replied staring right at him. He suspected she heard perfectly well judging by the confused look that crossed her eyes. Was this one of her tricks he thought to himself as he questioned whether or not he should repeat his question. When her stare never broke his he repeated the question much to his annoyance. Apparently Thanos's control over him improved his ability to shut people out. Well that power had long since disappeared and in that moment Loki felt as vulnerable as the day Odin had told him of his true parentage.

"Because a person tends to see people differently when they have had a past like mine. It was not you controlling your actions last time. Just as it wasn't me controlling my actions during the hospital fire. I know what it feels like to watch as their plan unfolds before you in your hands. That's an experience I would never wish upon anyone, no matter what they did to my friends." She said bitterly. 

"But you don't forgive me for what I did to Barton" Loki mused realising he was with perhaps the only person here who truly knew what it was like for him. 

"Revenge is not in my repertoire. But yes I haven't and nor will I ever forgive you for that" she smiled. Though he had caused her a lot of pain and worry and even more so for clint she couldn't help but be reminded of the grieving parents. The river of tears that turned stale as mothers clutched at their husbands and children cried for their brother or sisters to be dragged out of the inferno. Though nobody was. And she was rewarded for it.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a dripping ledger would it" Loki asked. 

"I can never undo what I have done but I can change what I do in the future" she replied just as Steve came in. 

"Sorry am I interrupting something" he asked backing off again. 

"No not at all" Loki replied. 

"Dinner will be in an hour" he smiled conscious that he had walked in on a serious conversation. The longer he spent around Loki the less he remembered about New York. When he had first met Thor he was astounded by the way he spoke of his brother. The sheer contrast between the tales of them growing up and the tales of the city were enough to make anyone believe Thor was mad. 

But here he was sat in the same room as the man and not fearing for his life at all. Sitting here now reminded Steve that Loki wasn't a bad person, he had just been dealt a bad hand. Much like Bucky in a way, which was why he had been so quick to forgive the god. 

"Smells good Capsicle". Tony laughed, taking a sip from his bottle as he strolled into the room. Just like that the peace had been shattered as Natasha and Steve rolled their eyes in unison. Loki's however were glaring at Tony with hatred fuelling the fire that made them glow red. 

"So you hate me" he whirled around facing the god. It was impossible to shake the burn he felt in the back of his head. 

"Hatred is a strong word Tony" Loki quipped. "I prefer to use-"

Before Loki could give Tony a piece of his mind and unleash any foul necessities he had inside him, Bruce entered the room. Well more stumbled out of the lift and tripped over the table in his hurry. He was holding in his hand a box full of tiny purple pills. 

"you finished it" Tony asked him grateful for the sudden interruption. Clint was right that Loki would be pissed about their little session earlier. 

"To the best of my knowledge" Bruce smiled. Noticing the worried look on Loki's face and the confused face of Steve he elaborated. "These pills were initially made to try and subdue the effect of me hulking out. They are almost like antidepressants in that they calm you down. I figured if I lowered the quantities they might work for Hel and Alayna". 

"You humams take such strange medicine" Loki pondered remembering the strange names Darcy had told Thor about. "Will they stop their outbursts" he asked again 

"In theory" Bruce replied handing Loki the box. "You never know with these things though do you". 

"Very reassuring thank you" Loki said sarcastically, pocketing the pills. It was painful for them when they 'mini hulked out' (Tonys phrase not his) and anything that could make it better for them he'd happily try. 

"Speaking of the girls has anyone seen them"? Bruce asked looking around at the various members. To which all he got in return were shrugs and a very worried father.


	25. You're only in trouble if you get caught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do tell me if I have made any stupid mistakes such as spellings or worse facts D: 
> 
> I want to give you a good story to read so any feedback is much appreciated! :)

"I told you this place would be fun" Hel joked with Alayna. They were sat on her bed whilst Hel tied her sisters hair in as many different styles as she could think of. 

"Do you still miss home" she asked knowing Alayna had never known a time off of Arbor. 

"Yes. But only because everything is so different here" Alayna said, surprising Hel with how mature she sounded. 

"Different can be good you know" Hel caught Alayna's eye in the large mirror opposite the bed. 

"We're on an adventure aren't we" Alayna smiled. "Like the stories you told me". 

"Yes I suppose we are" Hel smiled back, untying the ponytail and starting on a plait. They sat quietly, content in each other's company. If Hel closed her eyes it were almost as if they were back in Arbor. No strange foods, no futuristic technology that Hel could only guess what the function was. It used to be so much simpler, And safer.

There was only one way in and one way out of Arbor. Here she felt so open and exposed. She didn't know if it was because of this that her back was hurting. When the mark of Niss is carved, the carver is linked with it. When the person is near the scar will pulse and cause a slicing pain. This was always so that the person who had the mark could feel their death before they could see it. 

Over the years she had forgotten it was there apart from when she caught a glimpse in the mirror. It was everyone else that made a big song and dance about it. No one less than her father. He still blamed himself despite her telling him a thousand times that she didn't. She wagered not even Odin could have prevented their marking. 

"Alayna" Hel began to ask worried what the answer might be. "Your mark didn't hurt earlier did it" 

"Why" 

"Just wondering" she said flippantly trying to hide the anxiety she felt.

"Maybe a little bit but I don't really know. I can't remember what it feels like" Alayna sighed only remembering Hel's screams and none of her own. She was barely talking when they were first captured. 

Hel sighed. Perhaps it was just her imagination. She promised herself she would remain calm, for Alayna but she had inherited her mothers ability to worry according to Loki. 

"Probably nothing" Hel smiled. "Wanna get some of those Pop tart thing Thor was eating earlier" she added keen to move the conversation on quickly. 

"Yea I love those" Alayna said, jumping off of the bed and running to the door. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Clint was strolling back from a meeting with Fury in a daze. His long speeches and barking of orders always left Clint feeling tired. It was like that one school lesson where you dread it even before the lesson has begun. And every time you come out wishing you had thought of an excuse not to go. 

Working at shield could be described as followed: missions great, briefing and debriefing- not so great! At least that was what Clint told all the newbie, wannabe agents. So many of them were still so optimistic he felt it his duty to reveal the harsh reality of their job. 

He smirked to himself at the thought of one such agent when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Stepping to the side of the corridor he looked down to see a date and time with the words filing. 

"Shit" he muttered to himself knowing Coulson had similar punishments lined up for the others involved. Apparently it was unsafe and immature to take two girls out for a flying lesson. He looked at the times again. Four hours. "Fuck"

He groaned as he got an annoyed text from Tony. 

/explain why I have been put on mission report training Legolas/ 

He smirked to himself knowing despite it being a crap job he had gotten a better deal. Mission report duty lasted as long as twelve hours without a break. 

/not sorry/ 

Was all he replied. Yes he may have let slip where they had been all afternoon but how was he to know Fury actually cares about the wellbeing of Loki's family. Just as he clicked send, his phone was knocked flying from his grasp.

"Sorry Clint" Hel called out as she raced around the corner, Alayna close behind. Clint reached out and picked her up by the scruff of the neck. 

"Woah" Alayna gasped as her feet left the floor. She really hated being so small. 

"What are you up to" he asked picking his phone up off the floor. Not that he cared of his phone broke, it wouldn't be him paying for a new one! But he did have photos on there that he'd rather not loose which is why he checked it turned on ok before pocketing it again. 

"We're going to get pop tarts" she giggled "But Hel says we have to be quiet because uncle Thor doesn't like people eating his pop tarts"

"Then what're you doing running about the halls" he laughed. "I've got a much better way to get to the kitchen" he smiled getting a screwdriver out of his pocket. 

He put Alayna down and showed her round a corner and into a room full of wires and cables. They ran across every wall and several lay sprawled across the floor. Some were so big Alayna was sure she could have fit inside them. Stepping over two or three he moved a large crate on wheel to the side, revealing a metal grate on the wall. 

Alayna stood in silence peering over his shoulder as he unscrewed the four bolts holding it in place. 

"No matter what anyone tells you this is the fastest way to get around" he smirked leaning the grate next to the whole in the wall. "Stay close behind" 

As Clint shuffled into the air vent he made sure to pick up the map her left tapes to one of the inside walls. Passing it back to Alayna he noticed a worried look on her face. 

"It's a map, I drew it myself so it's simple to read" he smiled noticing a small smile play across her lips. It reminded him of the first time he had brought Natasha into the vents. About two weeks after meeting she had had a particularly bad day with doctors trying to extract blood and god knows what else. At that point Clint was new to the vents on the Helicarier and subsequently they had been reported lost for a day and a half. 

He expected that to be the last time she ever spoke to him but to his surprise she asked to go back with him no less than a day later. Smiling to himself at the morning he continued crawling effortlessly through the twists and turns. They passed Peppers office where she was on the phone and speaking rather loudly into it. 

"I don't care how many lorries it takes you I need that food delivered tomorrow" Pepper said with a tone of authority. She had obviously ordered the food online again, with a bill each time of nearly £800 it was amazing they hadn't cleared out the whole of New York. Granted half of the food would be eaten by Thor alone but they never went without when staying in the tower. It was a welcome relief after long missions where rations were essential. 

Clint knew Bruce would be disappointed, he liked to go shopping and potter about the shop for hours on end choosing food everyone will like. He says it nice to do something normal for a change. 

"I do hope she ordered more pop tarts" Alayna licked her lips after hearing Clint's stomach rumble.

"So do I kiddo" he laughed squeezing through a slightly narrower part of the vent. "Now which way is the kitchen" he asked. 

Alayna stopped for a moment and lent down on her stomach, the map later out on the floor in front of her. She could easily understand Clint's drawing as he had labels each room they had passed. She quickly spotted Peppers office and traced her finger till she found the kitchen. 

"Right then left. no right again" she questioned sliding it toward Clint. She never was very good with her lefts and rights. 

"Right the right. Good work" 

They crawled on further till Clint carefully stepped around a grate in the floor. He peered through the cracks and saw Hel on tiptoes reaching toward the pop tarts that Thor kept within his reach. Unscrewing the bolts, Clint made sure to hold onto the grate less it fall. 

"Hey Hel". Alayna called out whilst sticking her head out of the ceiling.  
Hel called out in fright and almost lost her balance on the work surface. 

"Alayna what on earth are you doing up there" she called back, panicked to see her sister dangling head first out of hole. 

"Clint's been showing me the air vents" she giggled, her face going red with the blood rush. 

"Has he now" Hel began to say when she heard the booming footsteps of Thor approaching. "We need to hurry" she whispered, her only thoughts now we're to how hungry she was. 

She reached up for the box again and quickly his them under her shirt. When she turned back around it was Clint this time who was hanging out f the ceiling.

"Take my hands" he said passing the box of pop tarts up to Alayna. They grasped each others hands tightly. Just as Thor rounded the corner Hel was pulled up into the vent along with Clint. They quickly and quietly replaced the cover and shuffled onwards towards a room Clint had marked as empty. 

"That was far too close" Hel breathed heavily, sighing as she noticed Alayna already opening a packet. 

"They're not even toasted yet" Clint pointed out but Hel just shook her head.

"She just likes licking the icing off the top" Hel explained whilst motioning with her finger than Alayna was mad, Clint snorted despite himself. As they approached the room Hel could see there was a grate then a step up to a long piece of tunnel before them. 

They could all hear voices coming from the room that was supposedly empty though which made Clint stop in his tracks. It was Fury's voice.

"Shi" Clint began to swear but remembered at the last minute who he was with. "-ver me timbers it's the pirate" he cringed at his own joke vowing never to repeat that to the others for fear of losing his dignity. As it was the girls just laughed and he had remind them to be quiet. Too many times he had been caught in the vents and after the incident with Natasha all those years ago they've never really trusted him since. 

"Ok we're going to have to go round and find another room" he whispered as quietly as he could whilst still being heard. "You have to be extra sneaky because this vent is suspended in the room. Which means if your not quiet Fury will drag all our sorry butts into filing duty" he warned. 

He received nervous looks in return so he took the lead, stepping up into the creaking pipe. He bit his lip as he heard Fury's voice grow louder and held his breath. He made the smallest of movements, regretting each slide of his leg across the cold metal. 

As he reached the centre of the pipe he took his first breath. He could hear more voices in the room with him and recognised only a few. Members of the council, he concluded hearing Fury explain about their current predicament. 

He felt the pipe creak some more as he heard Hel and Alayna shuffle to a stop behind him. Credit where credits due they were silent in their movements but he had never shown Natasha this route because of Starks inability to make all the pipes safe for transport use.

Taking another deep breath he placed one hand in front of him feeling the dust collect under it. Never again was he going to use this route, if Fury had his way he'd never use any air vent again. 

"Almost there" he whispered too soon as he heard the unmistakeable sound of a wire snapping. "Shit" he swore as the metal have way below him. He heard Alayna scream as an almighty crash echoed out around them as they fell into the room.


	26. Meetings.

Fury kept up his confident domineer though he knew he was treading on mighty thin ice. The council had found out SHIELD were housing a wanted criminal and it was now up to him to convince them that Loki was no longer a threat. 

Fury stood in the centre of a large room with no windows. It was lit with harsh white lights that burned the retainer of any onlooker. Before him sat four people dressed in suits and looking very important as they always did. The chair they were sat in were black leather and the backs rose far above their heads giving the illusion the people were small. 

"I hope you have a good explanation and reason for all this madness" one of the members spoke. After Fury had finished telling them about Banners finds and the situation. 

"As a matter of fact I do" Fury began to speak but was cut off. Though it angered him he knew this situation was too delicate already without him adding to their reasons not to trust him or SHIELD. 

"Our operatives are gearing up ready for all out war against your team. They feel as though SHIELD has been compromised". 

"I assure you SHIELD is as strong as it ever has been. We are simply living up to our name. We are shielding people in need" Fury replied not phased by the treat of war. He had heard that threat enough times to know the council were rarely prepared to actually shed blood when the time came. 

"As we understand it Loki has children with him" 

"Yes his children" Fury stated. It still didn't feel right thinking Loki had children but he had had enough discussions with Thor to realise they were as friendly and as harmless as Banner.

"Where are they now" one member asked flicking back through a booklet of graphs and numbers that were supposed to make sense to her. 

"In their rooms" Fury stated. Though he didn't know exactly where they were he was sure Loki wasn't too far behind so he wasn't worried about them getting into trouble. 

"Locked and bolted I hope" another one chipped in. 

"Unlocked in this very building. We didn't think it wise to lock up the children of a god. Besides they have the world greatest team looking out for them"

"Why is it the avengers have taken side with a previous enemy"

"Because they have a good judge of character. All of them. Though I don't agree with their desscission they haven't given any reason to doubt them yet."

"But didn't you loose over fifty agents trying to bring them in"

"I see how you all might miss the point of SHIELD and what we do but they are as a much a threat to you as I am. Similar to Banner they loose control and believe me when I tell you we have plans in place should the need for them arise". 

"I hope you are monitoring them"

"As we speak" Fury said which seemed to relive the council some what. "They can't move without us knowing" 

In his head he knew he had jinxed himself by saying that but he had no idea how soon it would come to bite him in the backside. Before another word could be spoke Fury was covered in plaster and dust as the ventilation pipe fell from the curling directly above him. He was knocked to his feet as three figures came toppling in him. 

Everyone in the room coughed and spluttered with the dust that filled the air. Fury raised his head to see Hel led by the councils feet and Alayna covering his feet. 

It was the heavy weight of Barton across his chest though that made him see red. He had been using the fucking pipes as a mode of transport again. 

"What the fuck are you doing Barton" Fury seethed knowing the Council members were staring at the scene before them in utter disbelief. 

"Sir this was all my fault I'm sorry" he chocked out, the air still thick with dust and pieces of the ceiling. 

"Don't worry I'm not blaming them" Fury spat jumping to the worst possible conclusion that they were all fired. 

Alayna pulled herself up and off of Fury's legs feeling a slight kick as she got up. This was it she thought, She had ruined her family's chances of safety. They were sure to be given back to the monster now. 

"Will daddy leave us again" Alayna whispered to Hel as she stood nervously behind her sister. Hel on the other hand was standing up tall and proud just as Loki had told her to do. 

"Don't be silly" she muttered back trying to blend into the corner as much as possible. The last time she had met this man, he didn't seem all too accepting of them, and she knew they had worsened their cause by falling into his meeting. 

Clint offered a hand to Fury who batted it away. They both brushed themselves down and clint made a move away from Fury. 

"Filing duty for the rest of the month" Fury murmured. "Till I decide what you future at SHIELD might be". 

Clint sighed heavily really hating his life right now. He turned to the council members, apologised, then went to the door. 

"The girls stay here" an elderly gentleman said and Clint have Hel an apologetic look. She simply smiled back and showed him thumbs up behind Alayna's back. Clint left the room smirking to himself as he went. 

"So you must be Hel and Alayna" the woman said affectionately, Bringing everyone's attention back to them. 

"Yes ma'am" Hel replied. She didn't fancy talking to anyone but she knew they would be thrown off of earth quicker than a rocket if she didn't cooperate.

"And Alayna is it" she said checkin her file. There was only a silent response from Alayna of head nodding. 

"Excellent. Well perhaps you could tell us a bit about yourselves"

The meeting dragged on and on with more personal questions being asked towards the end. It came to a point when even Fury's had to step in saying that it was none of their business what the girls had heard Loki saying about earth. At the end of the day he had to remember who they were talking too. These weren't the type of children who would follow then silently into the night. 

Around three hours later JARVIS startles the entire room claiming that dinner was ready. Both Hel and Alayna's stomaches rumbled in unison as they never had got to eat the pop tarts. No doubt Clint had finished off the box once he had gotten out. 

They looked to Fury who nodded and the two girls went sprinting out of the room and towards the lift without a second glance back. If the council were against them leaving they didn't protest. 

"I hope you know what your doing" they cautioned him. "Have there been any more encounters with either the Chitari or this monster they speak of"

"Apart from the incident on the Helicarrier? No there have been no sightings from any of our agents" he reassured himself as well as the council. 

"Then we will be in touch" a few members shook Fury's hand as they all departed for their separate cars, leaving Fury to collect up his things and breathe a sigh of relief. It was no where near over but he was glad the meeting was finished. 

As he left the room his phone vibrates in his pocket. It was Coulson. Holding it to his ear he heard him begin to speak. 

"Sir I have Thor with me, he wants to speak with you"

"Can't it wait Coulson"

"No sir its urgent-

"TELL HIM WE ARE ALL IN DANGER IF HE DOES NOT TALK TO ME SOON" Fury heard Thor bellow the other end. Even with the sound in its lowest setting his eardrums still bled. 

"I'm on my way" he hung up and pinched the bridge of his nose. Not only was his leg hurting but now his brain as well. What a day this was turning out to be.


	27. Food and nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is quite a long chapter. There was so much I wanted to write and it ended up beig this long because there was never an obvious ending. I'm pretty happy with it though so I hope you are too :)

There was laughter and small talk around the dinner table. People kept glancing at Clint and smirking which put him a little on edge. Ever since the battle everyone had made the conscious effort to eat together. For so long they had all grabbed whatever they could whenever they could but it was Coulson who made them 'bond' and they've never really wanted to go back to eating alone. Soon Coulson would be out of medical and could join them again like he used too. The empty space that Bruce still laid out of habit was like a whole in the team. At least they had two welcoming distractions. 

In the few days they had been there the girls had grown in confidence and spoke almost as much as Tony did. Everybody was surprised as to how much they had grown to like them, they were good kids who had been dealt a bad hand which everyone in the room could relate to. 

Even Loki was warming to the group and had sparred with Natasha yesterday. It was a close call but Loki had used one of his doubles in order to confuse her. Other than that they were pretty well matched. Tony's fridge was now littered with various drawings of himself and the team. Pepper couldn't help but happy every time she saw one of the avengers pinning up another drawing. Especially when that person was Tony. 

"No magic next time" Natasha warned as Loki promised another sparring session. 

"I promise" he chuckled. 

"Only if I get to join in" Hel piped up from the other side. 

"Only if she's on my side" Natasha cut in before Loki could say anything. This surprised Clint who was well aware Natasha preferred to fight solo. Perhaps she had a plan, it would be the Natasha thing to do. 

"Fair enough" Loki grinned as he took another mouth full of lasagne. The food here wasn't as bad as he had originally thought. 

"Sweet" Hel cheered, high giving Tony. 

"What about you" Bruce asked Alayna noticing how quiet she was. "Don't you want to join them"

"I can't fight. Hel says I'm too little" she sighed. "I did try once but my tutor says I was too weak"

"Back in Arbor" Hel started to explain quickly swallowing her mouth full. "We were taught basic self defence by one of the tutors that lived there. A, you were only very small so you're stronger now" Hel smiled.

"Use your size against them half pint" Thor chuckled glancing at Natasha. "They won't be expecting it". He had been pleasantly surprised when he first saw her fight, much more delicately than the warriors in Asgard. She had a style whereas Asgardian's simply cut and bash there way through large groups.

"I don't think that's such a good idea" Loki spoke, much more seriously. It was times like these when Thor was reminded who Loki was to these children. 

"Loki what if Alayna needs to defend herself at some point" he pressed further without trying to sound too desperate. He and Fury had decided not to tell the others about Thanos, especially Loki. An encounter so shortly after their arrival here would surely shatter whatever trust Loki had left.

"He makes a fair point" Tony chimed in noticing the disappointed look on the younger girls face.

"I do not like to entertain the notion of my girls getting into trouble or fighting" he said solemnly but Clint still scoffed. 

"Rich coming from the god of mischief" he spluttered. 

"You're only saying that because you got them into trouble earlier" Tony chortled as everyone started smirking behind their glasses. 

"Alright how many of you saw that" his cutlery clattered down as even Steve started laughing. He knew JARVIS must have been present in the room but how quickly Tony had seen his fall annoyed him. 

"Apparently everyone but me, what happened" Loki questioned when he noticed the guilty exchange of looks between his daughters.

"We were exploring" Hel spoke over the laughter as Clint buried his head in his hands. Not only had he landed on Fury but now everyone had seen him land on Fury. Clint knew Tony was only laughing because he knew how much filing duty he had gotten because of it. 

"The vents are a good way to sneak around" Alayna quoted Clint sheepishly. "We were trying to get Pop Tarts" 

"That is where they went" Thor boomed making Bruce jump. 

"Clint perhaps you need to lay off the pop tarts judging by the hole you left in the ceiling" Natasha smiled jokingly. 

"Very funny" he muttered jabbing her in the stomach. He winced slightly as she jumped knowing he'd pay for that move later.

Thor sighed heavily hating the thought of having to ruin how happy and content everyone was. His mind reeled for the remainder of the meal on things he could do. Three weeks. That wasn't long at all. 

He looked around at the various members of the group. He listened as Bruce was explaining to Loki about the pills he had given him he eves dropped on Tony's conversation with Steve about a sword he was working on for Hel. He smiled contently as he watched the two most fears assassins joke and laugh with an eight year old girl. 

They had made the right call not to tell them but he still didn't like the fact that the girls wouldn't know how to defend themselves when the time came. If only Sif and the warriors three were here, they would help get them ready. 

Perhaps not one of his greatest plans entered his mind and he smiled to himself at his own brilliance. He noticed Loki eyeing him suspiciously from the other end of the long glass table. 

"Brother I have devised the perfect plan" he shouted proudly. "I will travel to Asgard tonight and return with he warriors three" he smiled at Alayna and Hel. 

"Thor I wouldn't allow them to train with the people sat around us now. What makes you think I would let your babbling group of friends do the same"

"They helped train you" Thor explained, his voice rising at the end as he completely missed the point of Loki's answer. 

"I hardly call hitting me, training me" Loki sighed. 

"Come now brother in sure Hel and Half Pint would be more than up to the challenge of Sif"

"Please don't call her that" Loki sulked knowing any chance Thor got to return to Asgard he would fight for it. "Why are you so eager to train them anyhow"

This was it. Thor couldn't stop he nervous look drain his face as he dropped his gaze to stare at his plate. He couldn't hide it forever and Loki already knew something was up because he had stopped eating. Everybody had fallen silent and was awaiting Thor's response. 

Thor cursed himself realising he had left them without an answer for too long. 

"What's happening" Steve asked sternly. He had seen that face many times during the war. Every time a leader watched their ranks fall and soldiers die. Every time he left Peggy to go and destroy another Hydra base. He knew it well enough to know it meant bad things are or could happen. 

"Thanos is coming" Coulson announced suddenly striding confidently from the lift, Maria close behind. Natasha and Clint immediately rose from their seats and Coulson shot them a quick smile. It was still a shock to them seeing him alive after all this time. They felt for each other's hand and gripped tightly. They always did it, Bruce noticed, when they saw Coulson now. He imagined it was them making sure they were awake and not dreaming. 

"Fury's orders" Maria directed at Thor. "A squadron collecting Intel on Thanos was taken out an hour ago" 

Thor sighed heavily. Relieved it wasn't him that had to reveal the news but anxious as well. By the sounds of it Thanos was trying to close in on Loki already.

"You knew" Loki spat clenching his fists. My family were in danger and you just sat there" Loki had also risen from his seat now and was glaring at Thor with murder in his eyes. 

"Loki Thanos has given us three weeks."

"What makes you think he will keep to his arrangement" 

"Because creatures like him are not happy with a quick kill" Bruce intervened. "Trust me I have seen enough people like him to know he he will lead us into a false sense of safety"

Loki stood in silence, his brow furrowed as he struggled to decided what the best course of action was. 

"I will go to Asgard with you" he breathed deeply. "There may be information in the library concerning a way to destroy him"

"Loki you know as well as I that there is nothing that can destroy him". 

"He does not possess the gauntlet" Loki reassured the nervous faces. "Which is why you two shall stay here in the company of SHIELD"

"What no I'm coming with you" Hel argued. 

"I am not leading Thanos back to the gauntlet. You will stay here where you can-" Loki paused imagining his girls helpless in the grasp of Thanos again. "train" he finished. 

"They will be safe. You have our word" Steve shook Loki's hand before everyone left the table and headed for the roof, Alayna held Loki's hand the entire way.

"Please don't go" she whispered in his ear as he bent down to kiss her. "What if I have a bad night" she sniffed as tears started leaking from her eyes. 

"You see these people. Well I had met them before we came here. I would trust them with my life, and you should do the same". Loki brushed her cheek before standing next to Thor. 

"Point break" Tony called out chucking o phone over to Thor who caught it in his giant palm. "Take photos of anything you find" he smiled. 

"Button in the middle" Thor questioned trying to remember the lecture Tony had given to him and Steve about how to use this midgardian device.

"Yea, gently remember I want that phone back" he joked before stepping back in line. 

"HEIMDALL" Thor called and a blaze of light blinded everyone. A breeze had picked up suddenly and whipped at clothing and hair. Another gust of wind and Thor and Loki started shooting upwards across the sky. 

Steve reached around and picked up Alayna, placing her on his shoulders. Her now frizzy hair lay windswept across her face but she saw the beam of light race across the sky. She gently waved goodbye hoping her father came back soon. 

She hoped it wasn't like last time, hearing nothing for months on end. She started to slip into sleep shortly after the shooting star had disappeared from sight. Bruce and Tony had gone off to the lab to start working whilst Clint had gone to clear up after their meal. 

"Come on you" Steve spoke softly, shifting Alayna so her drooping head rested on his chest. He left Hel and Natasha alone on the roof as he made his way to their floor all the while Alyana slept soundly. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"What's on your mind" Natasha asked as she walked up behind Hel. The buzzing city lit up their faces in neon with the slight chill casting a red hue across Hel's cheeks. 

"Honestly". Natasha nodded resting her elbows on the rail that followed the shape of the roof. "I'm scared" she sighed rubbing her eyes that ached so badly. 

"This is unlike anything you were ever prepared for. You're bound to feel scared"

"There was so much more I wanted to do" she sighed again, slumping down onto the cold concrete floor.

"Why do you say wanted" Natasha said but remained standing. This was turning into a heartfelt conversation and Clint was so much better at those. 

"I have spent my entire life hiding or running. I thought maybe once we came here things would be different. I could actually start to do something other than breathing every day. But now I guess I'll never get the chance"

"Wait a second, you think we're going to give up that easily" Hel looked doubtful. "Missy, Thanos isn't gonna get near you without a fight" 

"What power do we have over him though. We are but eight people. One of whom is eight years old. He has an army"

"But we have a Hulk" Tony smiled as he came to sit next to her. She giggled as he handed her a black watch with a small lit up screen. She took it cautiously and looked down at the screen. 

"Alayna has one as well. Click that button and it sets up a radio frequency between you two that only you can hear". 

"Wow" Hel said speechlessly. "Thank you" she smiled putting it on. It felt so comfortable around her wrist and knew Alayna's would fit just as well. 

"It's always nice to know my work is appreciated" he said charmingly which made Natasha roll her eyes. 

"Stark you don't need the boost in ego" she said sarcastically. "Give him a paper crown and he'd call himself king" 

"I'm wounded" he brushed off the statement. "Bed time" he smiled. 

"A little early don't you think" Hel asked noticing it was only 9.30 thanks to her watch. 

"Maybe, but you've got a big day ahead of you" he smirked before lending her a hand. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

That night was a bad night. Hel knew it would happen the second her father announced he was leaving. Nightmares were a constant reminder of how much Alayna had been effected by her past. She first heard Alayna thrashing around at midnight and before too long there was a loud thud. 

She ran across the hall to see Alayna tangled in her quilt as she scurried into the corner. Sweat was coating her forehead making her hair cling to her cheeks. She was breathing deeply and her eyes were blood shot red. 

"Please help" she chocked back the tears as Hel slowly came closer towards her with one of the pills Bruce had given them. 

"Alayna it's okay. It's me Hel. I'm not going to hurt you" she whispered softly despite knowing Alayna wasn't seeing her at the moment but some other person in some other place. 

"No" she shouted out, ducking away from thin air. "Not again. I'll be good I promise" flinching as something touched her cheek. Though Hel couldn't see what Alayna was it still scared her. 

"Alayna wake up please" Hel begged as Alayna started crying. 

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" she sobbed louder and louder each time. 

"Alayna" but there was no use. Alayna was too deep in sleep to ever be woken by her simple words. Without a second thought she reached forwards and picked her up. Forcing the tiny capsule into her mouth, Alayna chocked and gagged trying not to swallow it. 

Alayna thrashed in Hel's grip and tried to bite her arm in an attempt to free herself. Hel picked up her legs, careful to avoid her kicking feet. Luckily for her Alayna was light and she managed to carry her to the lift. 

Quickly scanning over the many buttons she soon found the one she was looking for. Thankfully Tony had taken the liberty of etching symbols to the floor buttons instead of numbers. Slamming her fist into the one shaped like an arrow the lift started to move quickly upwards. 

Just as the doors slid open Alayna slipped from her grasp. "No" she said, But it was too late, Alayna hit the ground with a loud thump and started screaming. A half naked Clint came stumbling into the corridor obviously just having woken up. 

"What" he asked. As he noticed Hel trying to pick up a very distressed little girl who was sobbing her heart out. "Hey hey hey what's going on" he said more calmly as he moved over to take Alayna into his own arms. 

Hel sighed heavily with the effort of carrying her all this way. 

"She has nightmares. Quite bad ones. Usually father can calm her down but I panicked and came here" she breathed deeply. Alayna's screams were ear piercing as she struggled against Clint. As they hurried into his room he fell against the wall, moaning and resting his head against the cold surface. 

"Oh no" Hel panicked realising Alayna's powers were taking effect. 

"How does he calm her down" Clint said softly bringing her into his bedroom. It was well lit from the bedside light that on full power. Hel noticed Natasha sat up in bed looking worried, there was a gun peering out from under the sheets. Clint stumbled again but manged to keep a hold of her sister. He was slowing down though as his knees hit the bed. 

"He lets her sleep in his bed. For some reason the closeness settles her." Hel said wiping Alayna's forehead. "Sorry" 

"It's not a problem" They said in unison as she noticed Natasha push the gun back under the bed. Natasha was propping herself up on one arm which was now shaking with the effort needed. She raised a hand to her head feeling dizzy. 

Clint carefully placed the bundle of nerves next to Natasha who immediately shifted closer to stroke her arm. They knew what they needed to do but with the blackness creeping against their vision it was hard to concentrate. Clint got in behind her and pulled the covers over them. Alayna started to shake but the tears seemed to stop as both Clint and Natasha surrounded her. 

"Please get out of here" Hel pleaded noticing how far gone Clint was. She could see his muscles rippling under his skin as embraced Alayna. Hel felt so helpless stood there. She felt almost awkward watching as they claimed her sister down. She should be able to do this. She shouldn't have to rely on other people to calm her own sister down. Especially not when they were killing themselves in the process. She stood there shaking her head, listening as Alayna's breathing returned to normal. She was fine.

"Keep your eyes open Tash" Clint whispered as he noticed her fading. "Your stronger than this power come on" he kissed her cheek.

"I'm stronger than you" she mouthed almost silently back. 

"There's a couch in the corner" Clint said to shel. "I would offer you the bed but it's a little full at the moment" he joked and she smiled. Hel sighed in relief. They were all fine. 

"Thank you but I think my sister has stolen enough of your privacy at this point. I will return to my own room" and with that she lent over to kiss Alayna's cheek. It tasted salty against her lips but she didn't mind. 

"Thank you" she whispered again "you will never have to go through that again I promise" as she left the warm room for the dark corridor and stepped silently into the lift. 

Tonight had shown her that Perhaps she trusted these people more than she thought she had. Which to her didn't sound like a bad thing. Especially not when two people just risked their lives for a girl they had first met less than two weeks ago.


	28. Park life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I updated the last chapter slightly! I wanted their powers to have more of an obvious threat which is why I made the changes!  
> Please let me know how I'm doing, any feedback is welcome!  
> Thank you so much for all the kudos it really means a lot to this aspiring writer :)

"Rule number one" never turn your back on your opponent". Tony paced before the line his team had made. They were all in the gym where various weapons and training equipment lined the walls. The overhead lighting set everything ablaze in white light whilst the air conditioning whirred constantly in the background. Coulson was sat in the tiered seating by the boxing area with a clipboard. He spent the whole morning writing god only knows what down, but he hadn't said anything except hello and to check Clint and Natasha were ok. Apart from a bad migraine both were coping particularly well. 

All mourning Hel had been making them drinks and even laid out breakfast for them. It was alien to have someone waiting on them but nothing they said could prevent Hel's continuous apologies. Alayna knew something had happened last night as she had woken up nestled between the two. She knew something had happened but no one would tell her what. 

Steve was stood tall and proud at one end with the rest of the avengers and guests in size order. To his annoyance it seemed only Steve and Hel were listening to his speech. Natasha and Clint were looking as bored as two well trained assassins could in a beginner class. Bruce looked like he was about to give up and go play in the lab. 

Alayna was transfixed by something Coulson was doing and it took Tony firing his repulser at the ceiling to get their attention. Luckily for him he had installed panels in the ceiling which meant his blast was simply absorbed rather than a gaping hole be blown in it. 

"As I was saying" Tony continued picking up two boxing gloves. "I would have asked Happy to help but after last time he politely excused himself" 

Natasha smirked as Clint high fived her subtly. They were finally starting to get interested as Tony produced the boxing gloves. 

"I don't think I will partake in this" Bruce sulked off. 

"Not so fast banner you can take notes with Phil over there" Tony handed Bruce a laptop, he lent in close so only Bruce could hear "I heard they had to use one of those pills last night. Perhaps run some tests while she's unaware"

Bruce scowled at Tony. He could become a very annoying leader when Steve let him but he knew the importance of seeing how the medicine had interacted with her body. 

"First up Hel" 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

After several hits to the stomach Hel was feeling rather annoyed and the dull ache was irritating her to no end.   
Alayna had grown bored of watching her sister loose and had taken to annoying Coulson with a hundred and one questions about earth. 

"One more" Hel sighed having just fallen to the floor again. 

"Tony come on man leave it there she's had enough" Clint whined. Tony had managed to teach her various sparring moves and she had started out quite well but it was clear now she was too tired to even lift her arms properly. 

"Ok let's call it a day. Alayna wanna have a go" Tony sighed lightly punching Hel's fist. "You did good" he smiled watching as she fell out of the ring. 

Alayna skipped over to the ring and took the gloves from Hel who had taken to lying on the floor like a starfish. 

"You're funny" she giggled but Hel didn't have the energy to try and trip her up. Just as Alayna crawled under the rope Natasha bent down and whispered something in her ear. She Nodded as Clint tightened the straps. 

"You saw what your sister did" Tony asked raising his hands. "I want you to copy that"

Alayna took a deep breath before easing her fists. The gloves were the size of her head and she looked half her size with them on. Tony knelt down so that she could hit a part of him that wasn't going to affect if he had children or not. 

They started off slowly, Tony raising one fist and Alayna trying to hit it. Though her punches more tickled than hurt she had a good technique. 

"Nice" Tony exclaimed as she punched him hard enough for his chest to tingle. "But you have clearly been practising with Red over there so come on let's see what she taught you"

Natasha scowled as Tony stuck out his tongue at her. He was such a child. However he had noticed her teaching Alayna a few moves of her own in the shadows so he wasn't an complete idiot. She didn't know what was more annoying, a smart Tony Stark or a dumb one. She shivered at the thought and occupied her mind with watching the 'fight' before her. 

Clint was holding up his phone clearly recording. They smirked to each other as the watched Tony throw a few punches. Alayna ducked out the way with inches to spare every time. 

"Ok" Tony muttered opting for a different approach. He threw some faster punches and the odd kick but apart from landing on her face at the end she had dodged every single attack. "So that's how you wanna play is it" 

He took a run at the little girl who had been taken by surprise. He grabbed her waist and lifted her high into the air. Her scream had Coulson on his feet quicker than you could say Steve, and he marched over to the ring side. 

"Wait sir" Clint whispered frantically as he noticed Coulson about to step into the ring. 

"Come on come on" they heard Natasha utter under her breathe. Coulson looked on with confusion as he watched Alayna twist out of Tony's hold and wrap her arms around his neck. 

Before anyone knew what was happening Tony was led on his back with Alayna sat proudly crossed legged on his chest giggling. 

"What the fu-" Tony sighed heavily before a cough from Coulson prevented him finishing his sentence. 

"Stark we do not tolerate that kind of language in front of a junior." He noted seriously. 

"How" Tony said unable to comprehend what just happened. He stared over at Clint and Natasha and now Bruce who were all applauding and cheering for Alayna. "Dirty trick Red, she cheated" 

"Well at least we now know Tony's a bad loser"

"What do you mean now"? Steve questioned. 

"What part of that do you call loosing Legolas"

"Where do you want me to start" Clint bickered and the retaliations just kept coming. Before too long Clint had moved into the ring and was now sparring with Tony at lightning speed. 

"Admit it you were beaten by an eight year old" Clint breathed heavily taking another swing. 

"I was not beaten I simply let her win" Tony shouted back trying to take out Clint's legs. 

"Men" Natasha sighed to Bruce who looked at her as if apologising on behalf of all men in the world. Coulson's feeble attempts to break up the fighting led to him sulking off, no doubt to go and get Steve who had left out of annoyance as soon as Tony tried to hit a Clint the first time. His footsteps echoed over the din of the two opponents. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

After Steve had come back and separated the two he had sent Clint off to start his filing duty.   
Everyone else ordered pizza and sat in front of the TV watching Frozen. 

Even Steve was shocked when Hans left Anna to die. It was funny to see grown adults watching a children's film and Bruce smirked to himself as he noticed Pepper trying to explain to Tony why they couldn't watch the terminator in front of Alayna.

When the film finished JARVIS turned the lights back on revealing how much Popcorn had missed either the many bowls and peoples mouths. 

"Oops sorry" Hel said starting to pick up the many pieces that littered the floor. 

"It's ok" Pepper said also bending down to pick some up. "Is there anything you want to do now"

Hel thought for a while before shaking her head. "No I'm ok thank you"

"She wants to go outside" Alayna piped up from behind the bar making Hel hid her eyes behind her fringe. It was growing longer everyday and was at the annoying length of tickling her eyes. 

"No I am quite happy here thank you" she blushed not wanting to seem ungrateful for everything they had done for her. 

"Is this true" Steve asked. Hel nodded her head lightly. 

"I have just the place" Pepper smiled. "Grab a coat and meet be in the foyer" she beamed excitedly. It had been ages since she had left the tower as well and she was craving some fresh air. 

"What's a coat" Alayna whispered to Hel as they weaved in and out of the various people littered about the room. Steve jumped as well following behind them towards the lift. Their bare feet pattered on the tiled floor as they stepped into the lift. 

"Maybe change your top as well" she offered noticing Hel was wearing a short sleeved top. It was getting colder every day now but thanks to JARVIS monitoring the temperature nobody could notice.

"Thank you" Hel smiled hiding her excitement. They ran to their rooms and threw on multiple layers. Hel tied her hair back in a pony tail before taking the stairs two at a time right down to the bottom of the tower. They were both shattered by the end of it and when Steve and Pepper arrived they had to wait five minutes whilst the girls caught their breaths. 

They walked two and two along the crowded streets, Alayna holding onto Peppers hand like a lifeline as they were jostled to and fro. It reminded her of the busy market place in Arbour, especially on a Friday when everyone was trying to get the best deals. So many time the girls had lost each other in the crowds and ended up not seeing each other for the entire day. That was what Alayna misses about Arbour. It was suspended from the trees meaning you could only go so far before you reached the fences and had to turn back. 

Here everything was so much bigger and she doubted there was even an end to this sprawling mess of roads and towers. But there stretched out before them was a chunk free from high rising buildings and cars, just lush green grass and trees that stood tall against the confines of the city. 

The two girls looked at each other and smiled. There was space to breath here. They could see other children running around and playing on a large structure, there were people feeding small animals by a lake. Though there was a chill in the air this place felt warm and welcoming. 

"So what do you want to do first" Steve asked looking around. He hadn't visited Central Park many times and even he was intrigued as to what was here. 

"That" Hel pointed at the play park. It look awesome whatever it was and she couldn't wait to try it out. 

"Go on then. Steve and I will be sitting over there" Pepper replied letting go of Alayna's hand as they made their way over to bench by the waters edge. Steve pulled up his hood to avoid being noticed. Not that he minded but Fury had made them all promise to stay out of the limelight while Shield worked out a cover story. 

He watched as the two girls ran off towards the park and started swinging from the ropes and climbing up the small climbing wall. It was amazing to think they were Loki's children. Everything they did contradicted everything he thought he knew about the god. Everything they did proved to himself that giving people a second chance was the only thing you could ever do when it came to it. 

To give up on someone was like to give up on your own life, at least that was the way he had always seen it.   
"So how are you" he asked Pepper relishing these times he got to spend just talking with the people close to him. 

"Well thank you. Tony is loving having the girls here. It's changed something within him" 

"He's finally met someone else who acts eight years old" Steve joked resting his arms on the back of the bench. 

"True" Pepper agreed smiling. Steve was always cracking jokes around the tower. It was one of the things that surprised her after all the stories of his heroics back during the war. "What do you think of them" 

"They're good kids. I just wished I knew the whole story. I keep thinking of questions that I don't know the answers to and it's kind of killing me"

"I know what you mean. Bruce and Tony are worried about what they're not telling us as well". 

"It's clear though that the Loki who we fought in New York is a mere shadow of the one now" 

"I did wonder why Tony had a price on his head. He seems like a very nice if not slightly vengeful person"

Just then another woman came and sat beside them so they immediately stopped any conversation. 

"Mummy can I please go and play in the park please" a little girl whined whilst tugging on the woman's bag. 

"Fine but only for a few minutes" the woman smiled before getting out a book to read. They smiled politely to each other an sat in silence for a while. Steve noticed a man selling bread for the ducks and went over to buy some. He remembered coming here once when his mother was alive and they had spent all day sat by the lake. She had bought him ice cream later on. He smiled at the memory as he kept his head down. 

"For the girls" he explained as he pocketed the three bags he had bought. Pepper thanked him and tightened her scarf. Soon she would have to start walking otherwise she would freeze sat still. 

"Mummy there are two girls in the park and they keep cheating" the little girl came running back making Pepper and Steve immediately stand up. 

"Oh Sarah don't be silly now perhaps they don't know the rules" the mother explained and Pepper was great full this woman didn't automatically think the children were bad kids.

"We told them a hundred times but they still won't come down from the tree" with that Steve had bolted off towards the park in search of the two. 

"Are they your girls" the mother asked Pepper having noticed Steve run off in a hurry. 

"Yes I'm sorry, they sometimes get confused when playing games" she knelt down by the little girl. "I'm sure if we talk to them they will be fine"

The little girl nodded and dragged Pepper off towards the park as well. The mother quickly picked up her bags and came pacing up behind them. 

"Sarah be nice please" she scolded apologising to Pepper. When they reached the railings Pepper first spotted Hel running through the swarms of children towards a tree. Just as one of the smaller kids caught up with her she leaped into the branches. 

To everyone's shock she swiftly swung and pulled herself up the bark till she was hidden between the branches high above. The other children were all moaning beneath the tree as they tried to climb up as well, though with no branches to use as leverage they didn't get very far. 

"How on earth" Pepper heard the mother mutter worriedly. "Do they do this often" 

"We come from Alaska" Pepper explained hurriedly, her mind reeling with potential lies, each slightly less convincing than the last. If only she had Natasha's ability to conjure an entire life story in ten seconds flat. "They often climb the trees there with their uncle sorry if they gave you a scare" 

"They did indeed" the woman chuckled realising the girls were I nor danger. Steve had just waltzed up to the tree, towering over the smaller children. "Alayna, Hel please come down" Steve shouted. 

"They have funny names" Sarah laughed much to the disappointment of her mother. 

"Sarah apologise this instant. I am so sorry"

"It's fine honestly" Peppery smiled wanting nothing more than to leave the park. 

"Honey can you give me a hand" Steve called over and Pepper blushed. 

"I'll be right back" 

"Pretend to give me a boost" Steve murmured to Pepper having noticed several people now watching the commotion. Pepper nodded and clasped her hands together. Steve barely places any of his weight in her hands before launching himself to grab the lowest branches. 

Pretending to struggle he pulled himself into the beaches where he found Alayna smiling to herself.

"So I hear you're cheating" 

"It's not cheating it's just using your initiative" Alayna said proudly and Steve instantly recognised Loki behind those words.

"Well I'm afraid for someone your age it's called cheating" Steve sighed wrapping an arm around Alayna and lowering her back through the branches. 

"What about Hel. She's up there too" Alayna sulked with her pouty face.

"Well Hel should know better, she's older. It's a cool trick I'll give you that but perhaps keep it under wraps whilst on earth" 

"Sorry Steve" Hel called out from above. 

"If anyone asks, Pepper and I are you parents ok" he added just before they reached the base of the tree. "See we can't have people knowing who you really are"

"Ok" Alayna whispered remembering the last time someone had recognised who they were. Steve placed her down in front of Pepper. 

"Sorry mummy" she said hugging Pepper who was just relieved she didn't have two injured girls to greet Loki with when he returned. 

By now the onlookers had moved on and the other children in the park were more than happy to let them back into their game. 

"Your dad and I will be around here no more surprises okay"

"Promise" they said in unison locking pinky fingers with Pepper and Steve just as Tony had taught them to do. They then ran off to join the game and that was the last Steve and Pepper saw of them for at least an hour. 

"They seem like lovely girls" Sarah's mother walked alongside them. "The younger one is the spitting image of yourself" she directed at Steve which made him falter in his tracks. 

"You think so" he stuttered unsure of how to respond. 

"Not many people think that" Pepper cut in and not was Steve grateful. He was never very good at keeping up pretences for this long. SHIELD knew that all too well. 

"It must be the hair. Or maybe the eyes. I don't know there's a certain mischievous look in hers" The mother smiled. 

"Oh no that definitely sounds like her father" Pepper laughed leaning into Steve who put his arm around her shoulders.

"Well we must be off but it was lovely talking to you" as they watched the mother and daughter walk off they both breathes a sigh of relief and stepped away from each other slightly. 

"Ducks" Steve announced suddenly setting off towards the lake. 

"Right ducks" Pepper made the connection as she joined him. You would have thought living with Tony she was used to sudden outbursts but a person never really gets used to jump scars no matter how many times they occur.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"So tell me more about yourself" Steve asked Hel as they sat idly throwing pieces of bread to the ducks.

"What would you like to know" 

"Well go right back to the start where were you born"

"Here on earth, though it was some time ago" 

"How long ago"

"Say a hundred a fifty years. Give or take" Hel sounded surprised when Steve simply nodded his head thoughtfully. 

"You're not going to accuse me of lying"? She questioned having been hit several time by agents when she first arrived for 'lying'. 

"Well I am ninety so I can't really talk" he laughed at her gobsmacked face. 

"When my mother became pregnant with Alayna we moved to the outskirts of Asgard though I never set foot in the palace, at least not legally" she smirked. "Shortly after Alayna was born I was captured by Thanos. I was about seven at the time. In your years. That was the last time I ever saw my mother. She added sadly and Steve could tell it affected her more than she let on. 

"What happened" Steve asked sincerely. 

"Well all I remember is that father bargained for my freedom. He was to claim the throne of Asgard and in return I would be released". 

"So where does Alayna fit into all of this"

"My father failed to claim the throne yet Thanos released me. Don't ask me anything else for I do not the answers myself. I do not know why I was set free but Loki moved Alayna and I to Arbor" 

Steve sat quietly, listening intently as Hel was finally opening up to him. She paused as if chasing memories in her mind before speaking again. 

She couldn't believe how open she was being. The whole time she spoke to Steve a tiny voice in her mind was telling her to keep going. Perhaps this information could save her life. 

"We lived there happily for years. My father occasionally left but it was mostly the three of us living as any normal family would"

"Then came New York" Steve finished finally catching up with the events. 

"Just before me and Alayna were taken again with no reason except for that our father was growing too strong. Of course he agreed to do anything to ensure our safety but during that time he wasn't him. Though the cells were always kept open he rarely visited. When he did he had a vacant look in his eye". 

"Then we get to here"

"Yea I guess you could say Thanos is pretty annoyed that Loki escaped with us and is now seeking revenge for all the wrongdoings Loki was part of against him"

"Well not exactly sunshine and rainbows" Steve tried to cheer the mood a little. They had reached the end of the bread and Steve felt guilty having made Hel open up about a clearly unhappy childhood. 

"No but we're some of the lucky ones" Hel pondered. "We were not the only children kept in those dungeons" 

"You guys ok" Pepper walked over to them holding four mugs of hot chocolate complete with whipped cream and sprinkles and flakes and chocolate sauce. Hel's mouth watered at the sight and hugged Pepper as she took one of the mugs. 

"Thank you" she inhaled the chocolate smell and sighed happily. Coming here was the best thing that ever happened to her. Alayna was finally getting the childhood she deserved. 

"Well any little thing we can do" Steve explained knowing just how much these simple things meant to her. 

"I know you haven't had the life you wanted. But trust me when I tell you that you will always be welcome here" Pepper smiled kindly. 

As Steve watched Alayna and Hel sip their drinks and giggling to each other he realised that they were strong kids. They would be fine, just as long as they always had someone there to tell them they were doing fine. Looking at them right now it seemed impossible that anything could ever get these girls down. And he admired them for that.


	29. Childs play.

They walked lazily back towards the tower, Steve having to hold Peppers hand some of the way as passers by became more curious they closer they got.

"How's the search for James going" Pepper asked quietly, shifting her handbag onto her shoulder more. 

"He's still out there, I know that much. But it's like trying to chase your own shadow. I'll find him though, soon enough" Steve replied solemnly. "Bucky always had my back. Even when I had nothing I still had him. Nothing has changed"

"If Tony ever catches wind of anything I will be sure to let you know without hesitation"

"Thanks Pepper. Though lately I've been a little preoccupied"

"Sometimes a distraction is what leads to success. You spent the best part of a year following dead-ends. Perhaps the break will throw up something new"

"I hope your right" Steve stared down at his shoes deep in thought. It pained him more than anything to know Bucky was out there wondering. Just lost with no idea who he is or what he has done. Steve wanted nothing more than to have him by his side again, even if that meant he risked his life everyday. He'd stay with him till it was all over, till all the pain had gone. Just like Bucky had for him.

"Tony tells me you have almost caught up with your list"

"Well you know I'm sure there will be plenty more to add but for now all that's left to do is watch Harry Potter". 

"You still haven't seen Harry Potter" Pepper gasped. "How about we watch it tomorrow night. It is film night after all"

"You recon the others will be happy to watch it"

"If they're not they can go and watch another film elsewhere" she said adamantly. 

"Ok then" he smiled lifting up the collar to his coat. The chill was getting worse as the evening drew closer. They arrived at the entrance to locked doors. "Strange" he muttered as Pepper steered them around the corner to the back entrance. 

"Tony sometimes locks down the building to test his security. Luckily with this we can still get in" she said revealing a card from her pocket. The door buzzed and they all stepped inside the smaller entrance foyer. 

Apparently this wasn't a strange circumstance as Pepper seemed completely relaxed as she held the door open for everyone. 

"Since you came here I thought maybe he wound have stopped doubting his system but it appears-"

"What the" Steve questioned cutting her off and marching over to the front desk. Everything was eerily quiet for Stark Towers, there was nobody here. On the desk lay four plastic guns with a note stapled to the table. 

/split yourselves in two. Two meet in garage. Two meet on the roof. May the odds be ever in your favour./

"The odds" Steve questioned. 

"Oh Tony" Pepper moaned noticing what they were. "We are having a nurf battle" she sighed picking up the protective vest with ammo strapped to every available space. Steve picked up one of the guns and tested its weight.

"Is this safe" 

Pepper lent over and shot him in the chest. Though the hit made him jump he barely felt it tingle. 

"It's safe" she reassured. "Well they're all waiting for us somewhere. Girls do you want to go together"

"No way" Hel whined. "This sounds like a game where there are winners. I don't want to have to share that victory." She grinned, grabbing her own gun and vest. 

"I get Steve" Alayna called out as Pepper zipped up her vest and set the hit count to zero. 

"Garage or roof" he asked her. She thought for a while before deciding on garage. Pepper sighed again as she and Hel stepped into the lift.

"And here was me thinking I'd have a relaxing afternoon" she called out to Steve. 

"Game on" he smirked back loading his gun as the doors slid closed. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Ladies so nice of you to join us" Tony announced as Hel and Pepper stepped out of the lift. 

"Tony I don't see why I have to participate in this" Pepper shook her head. "I'm hardly an asset to the team"

"Nonsense if Bruce is playing then you can play"

"FYI my participation isn't voluntary" Bruce spoke up from the corner. 

"Alright we get Hel" Clint beamed chucking an ear piece over to her. 

"As soon as JARVIS is ready this can begin" Tony grinned as Pepper sighed heavily. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"There is no way on earth I am letting Stark win" they heard Natasha as they entered the garage. There was a floor plan of the tower laid out on the table that everyone was scrutinising.

"Oh good I'm glad your discussing tactics" Steve lit up, he was finally in his element. 

"This is good" Natasha looked at Alayna and Steve. "This means Tony will be distracted with Pepper" she smiled and Steve could instantly tell she was plotting. 

"Put these in" Peter handed Alayna an ear piece. "You'll only be able to hear us"

"Hey Peter" she beamed. Which made him smile. He wasn't used to people recognising him having spent so long as Spiderman and covering his face. 

Steve had moved over to the table and was discussing a route with Sam when JARVIS sounded out from above them. He audibly sighed before explaining the game.

"The game is capture the flag. Each team has a flag in which they must defend whilst trying to capture the others teams flag"

"Simple enough" Steve thought aloud. 

"Each team has been given some things to make the game fair. In the garage there are gloves for Peter and all of Sir's suits have been deactivated for the duration of the game"

"Makes sense" Peter grumbled putting on the gloves. He touched the wall and felt nothing but the smooth texture of concrete. No wall climbing for him he thought. 

"Oh before I forget put these on" Sam said chucking a t shirt over to Steve and Alayna. It was a long sleeved black top with holes in the wrists to allow the wearer to cover their hands. "We stick to the shadows" he informed. 

Steve and Alayna quickly put them on after noticing everyone was wearing the same outfit. Jeans and this top. 

"The game will begin in ten minutes. Decide what to do with the flag and stand by the doors" JARVIS explained before going silent again.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

As JARVIS signed Tony looked up to the ceiling. "Come on JARVIS don't let me down" he smirked as JARVIS explained the rules. 

"We have an advantage. They have three people on their team who don't know this place as well as us" Tony took the lead holding Pepper close to him. She was obviously annoyed she had to be here so he wanted to try and keep her happy. 

"Don't forget they have Nat. I'm pretty sure she could memorise a floor plan in under thirty seconds. At least she could in Budapest" Clint reminded Tony. 

"Well it's a good job I didn't give her a floor plan then isn't it Legolas" Tony rolled his eyes as if it were the stupidest thing he ever heard. 

"I may have given her a floor plan" Bruce said sheepishly raising his hand awkwardly. "She asked for one" he whined when he was met with states of judgement from his team. 

"Great so not only am I not allowed my suit but they also have an in depth knowledge of my tower". 

"There's one thing Natasha doesn't know" Clint began looking at the various paths Tony had mapped out. "The air vents"

"I thought you two basically lived in them" Pepper questioned. 

"We have never gotten around to seeing all of them and I know she doesn't go In them without me" he explained not mentioning that Natasha wasn't overly fond of enclosed spaces out loud. 

"Well I guess that's something. Just don't go creating holes in my ceiling again" Tony warned making Clint blush and Hel giggle. 

"Why don't we give the flag to Hel" Pepper suggested. 

"To obvious" Bruce stated. "I say we hide It somewhere"

"But where" Hel asked looking around. 

"Come on Tony. Your always telling us how you're a billionaire genius playboy philanthropist" Clint quipped. "Any good ideas"

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"We could give the flag to Alayna" Peter suggested. 

"To obvious I say we hide it" Sam suggested. 

"Hiding it means leaving it to be found. If Alayna carries it it would be easier to defend" Steve said. 

They were going in circles. These suggestions had been made three times already. Natasha found it amusing how seriously everyone was taking this. She just wanted to get to the shooting part. 

"All those in favour of Alayna keeping the flag" Natasha called out. Everyone raised their hands, probably all to bored of arguing to go against the others.

"But why me. It's not like I've ever used one of these" Alayna asked. 

"You can get to places we can't" Sam pointed out handing her the piece of bright orange cloth which she tucked into one of the holes in her vest. 

"One minute" JARVIS announced as everyone in the garage stood by the door that led to the stairs.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Where should we hide it" Hel asked.

"Here on the Balcony" Tony suggested hurriedly. "It would make it easy to defend"

"One minute" JARVIS announced. 

"It will have to do" Pepper decided placing the green cloth on the table. Clint instinctively reached for an arrow only remembering he was using a gun when he grabbed nothing but air. He tutted to himself, missing the familiar weight of his quiver on his back. Instead he had to put up with these tight tops Tony was making them all wear.

"I will stay and defend" Bruce said as he stood in front of the table where he could guard the only entrance onto the balcony. "I don't want to tempt the other guy into battle"

"I've got the air vents" Clint called out as if they were children in a play ground. 

"I shall be guarding my room" Pepper went to walk off but Tony's hand in hers dragged her back. 

"Oh no you don't" he smirked. "We shall be the front line" he gestured to himself and the two girls. 

"Hel its up to you to get the flag. We will defend you but in the end it's your job" he instructed. 

"No fair" Clint whined. 

"Three two one" JARVIS announced as the doors sprung open and the team rushed forwards into the tower. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Tony had taken the liberty of pumping dry ice throughout the corridors and the lights glowed a light blue, casting luminous shadows against every surface. Although this looked rather cool it made walking around the tower rather difficult as he hadn't taken the liberty of moving any furniture. 

"Seriously who puts a table there" Peter muttered as he banged his leg into another piece of furniture. He was sure he had black knees with the amount of low tables Stark had hidden beneath the smoke.

"Right lets split up" Steve organised the team into two groups. One would head to the balcony and the other would search for the other team.

"I will head to the balcony along with Sam and Peter, Natasha you make your way there as well but not until you have got the locations of the others"

"Roger that" Sam saluted mockingly and sprinted off with the other two towards the stairs. 

"What if they're up there waiting" Alayna asked Natasha who was setting up a clock on her watch. 

"Then I hope Steve has a lot more ammo" Natasha sighed running along the corridor. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Clint went first after Tony ran straight into the bar in his hurry to get started. 

"Remind me next time to go easy on the dry ice" he spluttered, led on the floor and clenching his stomach. 

"There's going to be a next time" Pepper moaned to Bruce who chuckled to himself. 

"We stick together" Clint suggested. "That way we cannot be singled out"

They moved to the stairs where the unmistakable sound of running feet could be heard. 

"Wow they're fast" Hel sounded impressed but she figured it was just because of how much time they had lost due to Tony not knowing the layout of his own home.

"Stand your ground" Tony ordered and they all stood, aiming their guns at the top of the stairs. The smoke hid most of their bodies and served well as a screen. They were all silent except for the pounding of shoes on the many steps. 

"Three floors to go" Clint whispered, "turn the lasers off"

There was a series of small clicks as the tiny red dots that were dancing on the wall disappeared one by one like stars going out in the night sky. 

'We've got them now' Tony thought to himself as his team took aim at the shadows on the wall. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

 

"Steve there is nobody around" Steve heard Natasha through his earpiece. 

"Nobody on four" Alayna called through. 

"Nobody on seven" Peter said quietly behind him, having just searched it. Sam came sprinting down the stairs from above. He had taken the lift up to their floors in the hope of getting Caps shield. 

"No use. All your floors are in lockdown" he sighed between breaths. 

"They're moving as a pack" Natasha explained after searching yet another empty floor. She met up with Alayna who's gun seemed to heavy for her to carry she was so tired. 

"There's no movement in the vents" Peter said helpfully getting up from listening to the wall. "But these gloves are scrambling my senses"

Steve lent against the wall. Here they were stood in a smoke filled staircase with no idea where the other team were. He must be losing his touch he thought to himself sadly. 

"Well I guess we keep going up then?" Sam asked. 

"Yea" Steve nodded. "Natasha meet us at the top we will work our way down"

"Roger that" Natasha giggled, making Steve sigh. 

"Would everyone stop saying that please" he asked. 

"Roger that Rogers" Alayna piped up form his ear piece making him scowl. Everyone else fell about laughing and before too log even Steve was wearing a smile on his face.

"Steve I know where Hel is" Alayna cut in after the laughter had died down slightly. 

"What how"

"Our watches are connected. It tells me her location. Where are you heading now" 

"The top of the stairs" he panted now taking two at a time. He was aware of how much noise the three of them were making but he wanted to get up quickly. 

"Steve stop" She screamed just as he rounded the corner to the final set of stairs.


	30. Capture the Flag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and I have been busy writing so hopefully there will be quite a few updates In the next few days! :)

"Get in now" Natasha guided Alayna into the lift and hit the top button. Whilst the lift was soaring up towards their target Natasha filled three extra clips for her and slotted them into the pouches on her vest. 

"Know how to reload" Natasha asked and continued to demonstrate when Alayna shook her head. "Click drop clip simple right"

"Click drop click" she repeated assuring herself. 

"Try it now" 

Alayna clicked the small switch on the side of the gun and the clip fell to the floor. She then inserted another clip till it made a clicking sound. 

"Good" Natasha smiled picking up the clip from the floor. "With practise you'll get faster". 

"How fast can you do it" Alayna asked yet before she had even finished her sentence, Natasha had loaded a new clip. "Woah"

The lift dinged and they stepped out quietly. It was silent. Either the rest of team had already been taken out or they hadn't reached the top of the stairs yet. 

'Stay here' Natasha mimed to her as she scurried over to the door. Peering through the slither of glass at the side she saw Bruce and Tony stood at the top of the stairs. They turned around to head back through the door making Natasha dive behind a chair. 

She signalled to Alayna to hide and in a split second panic she ducked back into the lift. Hiding round the corner they heard Tony and Bruce move outside. Alayna watched as Natasha crept silently up to the window to listen carefully. 

"Flag is still here" Bruce said into his ear piece. They had their backs to her so she was able to get close without them seeing. 

"Natasha come in Natasha" Steve whispered over the coms. She darted back inside the room hiding behind the door frame. 

"Speaking" she whispered back careful to shield herself from view. 

"Steve, we are all still in. Peters lost three, Sam lost four and I lost seven lives"

"That's ok Tony has lost seven as well. I can't make out what Bruce has but I'm looking straight at the flag. 

"Can you get it?"

"No it's being guarded by tweedle dum and tweedle dee" she joked. 

Alayna listened to the events unfurling till the lift doors slid closed. "Umm" she asked herself as it started moving downwards. This couldn't be good. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Yea I'm doing fine only one hit" Hel exclaimed as they raced through the corridors. "This is so much fun" she screamed sprinting even faster. 

"Come on wait a second, we're not all as young as you" Pepper panted clutching her side in pain. This was not her idea of fun. 

"Pfft I'm way older than you come on Potts" 

"Where do you recon they went" Tony asked. 

"Well Clint's taken the vents down to the garage and we are heading back up to you to regroup" Hel explained. 

"Ok see you soon"

They called the lift down and Pepper sat on the floor whilst they waited for it to arrive. 

"Come on you have to admit this is fun" Hel said to Pepper, remaining standing as she inspected her gun in finer detail than before. 

"It's fun when you are a child. Or have the maturity of a child" she explained. "Also there is far too much running" she sighed trying not to inhale too much of the smoke. 

"You sound like my dad. He was always up for sparring but never running" Hel smiled. "Apparently it was Uncle Thor who did the running whilst my father did the reading" 

"Now that does sound like Thor" Pepper said as she clambered up onto her feet again as they heard the lift approach. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Alayna walked in tight circles around the lift. It could be Steve and the others using the lift but she highly doubted they would be running out in the open after their last ambush. Checking her watch, her thoughts were proven right as it showed her getting closer to Hel. 

"Oh no" she breathed heavily, starting to panic. She looked around for a place to hide but there was nowhere to run in this metal cage. Her heartbeat quickened as the lift started to slow and she held her breath for fear of being heard through the thick walls. 

She looked up and noticed a small handle embedded into the metal. Quickly she jumped up to reach to it but fell way short of even touching the ceiling let alone grabbing the handle. 

"Oh no" she spoke to herself again frantically looking around for something to use as leverage. There was nothing. There was no one. And Hel was stood right outside of the closed doors. The lift dinged and at the last moment Alayna dropped to the floor. 

The smoke started wafting into the lift. Covering her small form. Keeping low she started to crawl between the two sets of legs that were striding into the lift. The gun banged against the floor making Pepper hold the lift doors and peered out. 

"What was it" Hel asked gun at the ready, they could see nothing except for a smoke filled corridor. 

"Must have been my imagination" she mumbled before letting the doors close once again. 

Alayna had been holding her breath the entire time and let out a huge sigh of relief. She crawled slightly further before feeling a tugging on her foot. Panicking, she quickly flipped over onto her back and started firing at the lift.

Her bullets fell into a pile by the doors as she noticed her shoelace trapped between the two metal doors. Trying to no avail to yank her foot free she quickly removed her shoe before collecting up her other bullets and replacing them in the gun. 

"Hey Alayna where are you" She heard Peter through her ear.

"Floor-" she glanced around the dark corridor. "I don't know" she admitted trying to pull her shoe free of the lifts grasp. 

"Head to the stairs. It should say there" Sam offered, and she accepted the fact that she was going to have to continue this game with one shoe.

"Alayna can you get to the garage" Steve asked. "We are all going to meet up again" 

"Okay garage. That's down right" Alayna asked. 

"All the way down" Sam agreed. 

"Okay I'm on my way. What about Natasha" she asked not liking that she was still up there.

"We will meet her later" Steve replied. "Be quick okay" 

"Okay" She said as she started running down the stairs. Getting ready for the long run as she realised she was on floor sixty two. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Clint sat hunched over in the vent, keeping his breathing shallow. He saw Alayna come in and collapse on the floor, leaning against one of Tony's more expensive cars. 

"You could have taken the lift you know" Sam questioned. 

"Hel and Pepper were there, they would have seen me" she breathed heavily.

"Where is Hel now" Peter asked lifting up his own wrist and pointing to it. 

"Balcony" 

"That's where the flag is" Steve announced coming in through a side door. 

'Shit' Barton thought to himself as he realised they could track the position of Hel and they knew where the flag was. He glanced around the room again before noticing the tip of an orange flag sticking out of Alayna's pocket. He smirked to himself as he debated the idea of leaving now. 

"Right new plan" Steve began and Clint knew he could spend a moment longer in this vent. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Right new plan" Tony barked clearly taking control again. Pepper just rolled her eyes and went back to discussing what Hel wanted for dinner that night.

"Hey guys Alayna has the flag on her" they heard Clint whisper into his mic. 

"Good job Barton" Tony smiled as Natasha furrowed her brow. She was still wedged between the sofa and the wall and her legs were starting to tingle. "Head to floor twenty. We will ambush them there"

Natasha started to slide out from behind the sofa. She carefully slipped out of the door and started making her way down the stairs. She had to stop Clint before the others got there.

"Barton's in the vent" Natasha warned. "Careful what you say"

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

As Clint scurried through the vents he couldn't help but feel something was off. This thought still lingered as he kicked off the cover and slithered into a store room. It was the type of thought that the more you thought about it the further away it seemed to get. 

He finally managed to catch it as he entered the empty communal room on floor twenty two. Natasha wasn't in the garage with the others. 

"Oh shit" he screamed out loud, kicking himself for being so stupid as to not realise she wasn't there. He blamed the lack of training these past few weeks but he knew he would rather have been playing hide and seek than training any day. He was a big kid like that. 

As he turned around he felt a sudden pricking sensation in his shoulder. He glanced down at his chest to see he had lost a life. Natasha. 

Raising his gun he fired blindly into the shadows hitting nothing but the wall as he saw her small figure dart into the adjoining room. 

He bolted through the doorway and used the smoke as a shield. Sliding across the floor he heard her footsteps quietly moving behind him. He fired three shots each hitting their mark. 

That was when Natasha moved in and kicked the gun from his grasp. Twisting around his side, she dodged his punch and met his other hand with a grip that prevented him getting her gun. She hit him once before he swung his leg round and sent her flying to the floor. In the confusion she had dropped her gun and Clint pushed it away before she could grab it. He blocked a few punches to the chest and stepped back to avoid the kick she sent his way. Natasha tried to feint a kick and follow with a punch but she used that move to often in training and Clint was ready for it. She was forced back and kicked her gun around a corner where she was able to pick it up again. Clint also found his gun amongst the smoke and settled down behind a large table he had flipped over. Gunfire was exchanged but none met their mark. They were far too easily matched.

Just as the fight settled down the lift dinged and footsteps shuffled on to the floor. Natasha heard the door to the stairs burst open as her team joined her for the fight. Before you could say 'fight', bullets were raining down upon everyone. The gun fire echoed around the floor as everyone took cover and tried not to be hit. 

Bruce hung back keeping an eye on Hel who had grabbed their flag when they moved down. Spotting Alayna ducking behind Steve he could see she also had the flag on her person. This was going to be an interesting fight. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Tony defended Pepper though she had quite an accurate aim. The kept ducking behind the door frame to reload and soon she was laughing as they fumbled about with the clips. 

Tony aimed his gun at Alayna but just as it was about to hit her Steve batted the bullet away. He noticed Steve smirk and fire his own gun hitting Tony right between the eyes. 

"Jesus" Tony yelled rubbing his forehead. "That's it" he stormed out from behind the door, taking Peppers gun with him. He fired consecutive shots at Steve until he heard the guns click empty. When that failed he took a swing at the captain which hit him square in the shoulder. 

"Really" Steve scoffed, stopping another punch. Alayna ducked behind Peter as Steve started sparing with Tony. Punches and kicks were exchanged with neither taking much damage.

"Have you fired that yet" Peter asked when he felt Alayna move behind him. He was using the island in the kitchen as cover which served well seeing as the smoke made it almost impossible to spot. 

"Once" Alayna admitted. "At a door"

"No worries. I hear they can be pretty vicious" he smiled warmly through the haze. He pulled out a handful of bullets from his hoodie pocket and inserted them into his gun. He fired up the tiny motor and as it whirred to life he sprang from behind the counter. 

Alayna looked around for Hel. The lights made it hard to see who was who in the large space. Shadows moved across the veil meaning rouge billets scattered the air with no real intended target. Alayna tucked the corner of the flag further into her pocket. If Hel was after the flag then she didn't want to make it easy for her.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Bruce was no longer enjoying this game. He tripped over a coffee table and fell face first onto a sofa, sighing deeply as he did so. He opted to stay hidden under the smoke and let his gun fall from his grasp. Sam had taken to hiding in a corner and shooting at whoever got close, unfortunately for Bruce he kept forgetting what corner he was in so he was down to one life. From his new bed he could see Clint running through the room with Natasha clinging to his back like a Koala, he chuckled despite himself and started to get comfortable. He wish he hadn't turned over onto his back for Tony and Steve came rolling into the room. Steve picked Tony up and threw him into the sofa where he was dragged also. Elbows and knees battered his chest and other places he'd rather they not be.

"Sorry" Steve squeaked suddenly realising where his hand was. "Tony wait" he tried but Tony was already reaching for his gun again. Steve apologised once more before vaulting over the back of the sofa and sprinting from the room. Tony tried to follow but instead clumsily stepped over Bruce then fell over the back, landing painfully on the floor. Bruce watched him clutch his arm as he ran off in pursuit. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

"Surely you wouldn't shoot a girl" Pepper teased as Peter lowered his gun. He shifted awkwardly, suddenly very aware of his actions and how he looked. He felt like he was in school again which he hated, He thought he had moved on from this but life always had a way of proving him wrong.

"What you doing man come on" Sam slapped him on the shoulder as he hurried past, shooting Pepper twice.

"What are you doing we can’t shoot Pepper she's unarmed and ladylike"

"Thank you Peter" she said sweetly making him smile awkwardly and nod his head.

"Dude she's going out with Stark, ladylike she may be but she can pack a punch"

"How do you know" Peter asked before watching as Sam was caught with a solid punch to the jaw followed by three shots to the chest. His chest plate counted down his lives with a dull beep as he tried to duck under the next swing. Peter dived for her legs, trying to topple her over but she simply stepped out of his hold and shoved him away. Sam lunged with his fist outstretched only for Pepper to move at the last second. His clenched fist made contact with Peter’s arm which suffered a spasm on impact.

"Hey" Peter winced, ducking under a gun shot. 

"What the" Natasha asked stumbling into the corridor so fluidly it would appear at first glance that she were drifting. She gazed down at the two men at Peppers feet with a joyful smile playing on her lips. Sam dusted himself off and got up causally. He extended his hand to Pepper who took it delicately again as if she hadn't just knocked him over three times.

"Remind me never to annoy you" he smirked and she laughed in return. They all fell silent as they heard Steve sprinting past an intersection, gun firing blindly behind him. The silence was pierced by Tony screaming 'FOR NARNIA' as he went. Pepper sighed as if embarrassed but the others just shook it off. They shouldn't be in Stark Towers if they couldn't put up with Tony's childlike tendencies. Natasha took off again having regained her composure and followed the two men suit.

She caught up with them easily because of their loud footsteps on the tiled floor and slowly slipped between them. As Pepper helped Peter up they heard gunfire being exchanged. They both raised an eyebrow before seeing Tony sulk away again, rubbing his cheek.

"Why does everyone in this tower keep hitting my face" He mumbled to himself as he went.

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Hel made a grab for Alayna but she had seen her at the last second and had ducked away. Cursing to herself she noticed the door to the stairs swing closed and quickly dragged herself to her feet again. Ditching her cardigan on the floor she barged through the door and saw Alayna's shadow on the wall above her. Without a seconds hesitation she started taking the stairs two at a time in a bid to catch up with her sister. 

Sadly there were more stairs than she had bargained for and soon had to stop for the pain in her side. Breathing in short, sharp gasps, she stilled long enough to hear Alayna panting no less than three flights up. Kicking off of the wall again she started running again. Alayna moaned in protest when she heard Hel's footsteps start again, willing her legs to move faster as she neared the top. Her lungs screamed as she fell onto the balcony. Stumbling towards the middle she took in lungful's of air, over and over.

"Giving up" Hel shouted over the roar of the wind. Alayna lifted her head slightly and looked through her fringe, Hel was stalking closer.

"Never" She got out between breaths and took a stance, her fists protecting her face.

"Come on A are you really going to fight me"

"My fists aren't up here for show" She quipped.

"Suit yourself" Hel brushed off before taking a swing at her sister. Alayna ducked under the punch and countered with a shove to the stomach. Hel was forced back momentarily but soon regained her posture with a solid kick to the chest. Alayna fell back, rolling across the floor. She sat up on her knees and tucked her hair behind her ears, no way was she going to let Hel win that easily.

Charging at the taller girl she used all her weight to being her down. Mimicking what she had seen Steve do, Hel Brought up her knee and used it as a brake against their rolling. They stopped suddenly causing Alayna to fall off.

Hel blocked a few punches and a kick that was really too low to do anything. She retaliated with a grab of her own and successfully picked up Alayna who squirmed like a snake in her arms. Trying to deflect the rouge arms and legs that were now all at head height, Hel attempted to grab the flag.

“Let me win” Alayna screamed reaching into Hel’s pocket, quick to shove away from her sisters hands. Hel shook her head in amusement as she easily overpowered the small girl.

“What’s the point in fighting if I’m just going to let you win?”

“Now you sound like you” Alayna smiled reaching again for the flag that had been exposed from Hel’s pocket. This comment caught her off guard and she let it slip for a second before catching Alayna’s hand.

“What do you mean” she asked throwing her sister to the floor gently. She loomed over her, showing that she still intended to win but would let her talk for now.

“Lately you gave been quiet. Back in Arbour you would let nobody tell you what to do and certainly not to treat you like a child. I was missing that side to you” Alayna smiled sweetly as he hand was batted away once again. Hel stopped for a moment to think about the past few weeks, she hadn’t noticed a change in herself but the signs seemed obvious now that she reflected on them. Before they came here people didn’t speak to her willingly for fear of having their hand bitten off and their words shoved back down their throat. 

She heard a crowd of people gather behind them and she could only assume they were waiting for the two sisters to finish the fight. She glanced around and saw no fleeting looks or disapproving hand gestures. She saw a group of people who admired her and her family, all be it very warily, but they weren’t afraid to talk to her like people back home were. This made her sigh in disbelief as she realised what had happened. Her father had always been telling her to let people in and to not be afraid to trust people, and here she was surrounded by a group of people- who without her even trying- had grown to accept her and dare she say it like her.

This gave her a strength she had forgotten she had and soon Alayna’s flag was tightly clutched in her hand and held aloft for the whole city to see. Cheers erupted from one half of the crowd as her team rushed forwards and picked her up on their shoulders. She didn’t even complain when Natasha took her flag and handed it to Alayna who was perched proudly yet sulking on Peter’s shoulders. The two girls were marched around the tower till Pepper announced she had ordered pizza and they all sprinted to the reception to wait for the crates of food that would shortly be arriving.  
~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~  
That night they sat under the stars, bellies full of pizza and garlic bread and wedges and ice cream and cookies. Clint was moaning because of the stomach cramps he was now experiencing whilst Steve scorned him for eating so much. They all laughed at Tony’s attempt at small talk as the evening continued into the night.

Pepper brought up large sleeping bags for anyone who wanted to sleep outside and Hel was disappointed when Peter had to go home. He had talked long to her about what he does and the world around her, it had been fascinating to hear about this place from someone her own age, or at least someone who looked her own age. It was a welcome change.

Bruce carried Alayna to bed when she fell asleep against Tony. She would have stayed there all night if Pepper hadn’t whispered something to Tony that made him blush and promptly try to move the sleeping form off his lap. He was quietly booed as he quickly bid goodnight before leaping over the sofa and inside the tower.

Hel sat with her legs dangling over the city, her bare feet making lazy circle against the backdrop of a thousand lights. She knew this peace couldn’t last forever and she savoured every second here at the tower. Her heart ached of the thought of having to leave this new life she had stumbled into and she was scared of what lay ahead.

Her only wish was that her father would return soon, if he was here then she hoped it would be easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If her were here, she hoped it would be easier to cope with this looming fear that all was not well, not just for her, but for everyone around her.


	31. Panic and relaxation.

Shield was alive with people running from office to office. Fury was pacing, somehow that made Coulson very nervous. 

"Tell me again how he managed to hack into our systems" he said angrily, staring at the dozen or so screenes that all showed a red countdown. Ticking away the seconds, minutes, hours, and days. 

"We are dealing with gods and magic sir I don't think we can explain anything"

"Where is Thor. Or Loki. I need them back here where we can take action."

"No word has been sent and we have no way of contacting Thor" Coulson explained and clutched his file closer to his chest. Fury was pissed. That was dangerous for anyone. 

"It's not enough that he threatens members of my team but now he has targeted this entire organisation." Coulson simply stood still waiting for Fury to stop his rant. "How many screens is this playing on?" 

"Every one we know of sir"

"And Starks tower?" 

"That appears to be functioning normally"

"Let's keep it that way" he sighed, sitting heavily at his desk. He was now worried, this had turned from a mild threat into an all out attack. There was now no denying that Thanos was coming, and he wasn't going to stop for anyone in the nine realms. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~||~~~

The tower didn't see much activity till lunchtime and even then it was slow and uncoordinated activity as everyone tried to prise themselves from the clutches of sleep.

Pepper enjoyed days like these. She didn't get many of them so she was sure to use them wisely when she had the time off from the avengers. They were like six year olds, all of them. Far too much energy and no where to channel it except through fighting or playing. 

The morning was quiet. She was able to enjoy a large pot of tea and read her book with any interruptions. Well one interruption by the means of Alayna coming down and asking if Loki had returned. She had quickly gone to bed when she realised he wasn't there. 

Her phone remained quiet for the whole day so she was able to take a retreat to the nearby spa. She definitely wanted more days like this. As she lay in the stream room she felt all the large knots and stress seep from her muscles.

She sighed contently as she waltzed through the calmly lit rooms, taking in the sound of the waterfall in the centre and the smell of the many candles burning in arches above the doorways.

She kept her phone in her dressing gown pocket though she didn't expect to be interrupted, Tony rarely noticed Peppers absence this quickly. She bet she had another two hours, at least, before he started to get suspicious. 

When she started to wrinkle under the moisture in the air, she reluctantly dragged herself back to the tower. Only Bruce was there to welcome her when she reached the communal floor. 

"Hello" he smiled sweetly, averting his eyes back to the newspaper in his hands. He was wearing a loose fitting shirt with checked pyjama bottoms. Such a strange combination Pepper thought to herself as she sat opposite him at the breakfast bar. "Did you have a nice morning"

"Splendid thank you" she beamed reaching for a slice of cake in the centre of the bar. She really was treating herself today. 

"Have you been able to complete any more of those tests" she asked. 

"Not unless you want to drag them back into a hospital wing" he said seriously.

"Good point". The silence continued after that. Each just happy to have some company that didn't like to fill every second with noise. Come lunchtime Alayna had moved down in front on the TV and had watched all three toy story films before Clint arrived. 

Grabbing the largest cup of coffee he could he fell down on the sofa with so much force, Alayna left her seat for a short while. His eyes kept drifting closed as he tried to focus on the film but the truth was he was exhausted. He kept getting jabbed in the ribs every time he started snoring which made him all the more tired. 

Everyone groggily dragged themselves out of bed at varying points after Clint. Steve hit the gym the second her woke up like he usually did, joined later by Hel at 'a more reasonable hour'. 

Tony didn't grace them with his presence till mid afternoon whereby he had missed lunch and insisted on taking the mark 42 out for shawarma. 

Natasha stayed in her room for most of the day. Not that she was asleep but she still had paper work to fill in from her last briefing. Now that Coulson was back she felt it only fair to hand her paperwork in instead of leaving like she had been before. He only get annoyed if she didn't. 

It was a good job she did for Coulson and Hill joined them for dinner that evening. It was a squeeze around the table now that there were eleven people. For the first time Hel was glad that Thor wasn't here to make things even more cramped. 

Tony had managed to get three agents to cook the meal that night. Steve didn't know how much he was paying them but it was nice to just relax and enjoy the food. Coulson sat between Clint and Natasha who hadn't let him leave their side throughout the duration of his stay. 

"So any news" he asked the table, surprised when it was Alayna who spoke first. The only time Coulson had spent with the girls was at the start where they were silent and shy. He guessed anyone who has to live with Tony would eventually become more confident but the change was still noteworthy. 

"We have been having the most best fun ever" she smiled widely as she moved her fork around her plate and swung her legs under the chair. "Yesterday Tony filled the entire tower with smoke and lights and we had the most awesome game of shooting"

"We played with Nerf guns" Tony explained noting Coulson's concerned look at the mention of shooting. 

"Yea and I won" Hel smirked. 

"Don't you mean we won" Tony asked. 

"You won Hel. No need to feed his ego any more" Pepper cut in before Tony could take it any further. 

"What about you. Any intelligence on Thanos" Steve leaned over to ask Hill when the rest of the group were busy discussing the game yesterday. 

"Not unless you count thin air" She said bitterly. "He's like a shadow. He leaves no trace and we can't even pinpoint any location he's been sighted in"

"He's been sighted" Steve asked quickly. 

"Yes twice. But keep it under wraps. Fury doesn't want anyone to know until Thor returns with Loki." She didn't dare mention the countdown that Thanos had begun that morning. Only take action when it's needed is what she stood by, and right now these people didn't need their lives turned upside down. That could wait, till at least tomorrow. 

Though it annoyed Steve to be keeping secrets he nodded respectfully. He'd feel a lot better if he knew what he was going up against. For now all he had was a name and two very scared looking girls every time it was mentioned.

He looked over at the two just as Hel helped herself to seconds of chips and another burger. He smiled to himself which Maria noticed. 

"They seem like lovely girls" she said quietly to him. As they sat at one end of the table they were able to see the whole team. At first it had taken them a while to get any traction but that seemed like ancient history looking at them now. 

Tony and Bruce were laughing and joking whilst Natasha discussed the best place to shop with Pepper. Clint was having a tickle fight with Alayna who was rolling about in her chair, in a fit of giggles that sounded like the definition of happiness.

"Who have just had a rotten start" Maria concluded gazing up from her phone. That was her problem, she could never fully switch off.

"Remind you of anyone?" Steve took a sip from his glass as he started talking to Coulson about his trading cards. Steve had made him an album of all his cards and even some of his own photos of himself during the war. He intended for it to be buried with him but he assumed Fury had given it to him personally what with him being alive and all. 

After desert Alayna started adding to a large picture she was doing. She wouldn't let anyone see it, except for Tony who had promised her another flight with Iron man in return. 

"What's your name" she asked Maria who was perched on the floor next to Bruce. 

"Maria Hill" 

"Thank you" was all she replied with before slipping off back to the table. Maria watched her get back to work, her small tongue peaking out from the corner of her lips. She was humming to herself very softly as she kept shading the paper in all the colours laid out before her. 

She noticed a small captain America shield just poking above the table on her t-shirt. Upon closer inspection Maria realised it had all the avengers on it. She chuckled to herself knowing full well it wasn't Pepper that had gotten it for her. 

"Film time" Clint called out, followed by Tony who was carrying as many bowls of popcorn as he could. 

"We should be heading off" Coulson explained making a move to get up off the sofa. 

"Oh come on Phil just a few more hours" Pepper pouted. Phil just sighed. 

"We'll even let you pick the film" Natasha said, making her voice seem as childlike as possible. It scared Clint just how good she was at accents and impressions. This is why they never let Natasha play the accents round on a board game they had, she always won because of it. 

Coulson looked over at Hill who made it obvious she wasn't moving by grabbing a bowl of popcorn and leaning further back into the sofa. 

"Ok but as soon as it's over we really must go" Coulson smiled picking the Nanny diaries. Everyone else just grinned as JARVIS started the film, he was unable to hide the blush in his cheeks. Alayna came over after the trailers had passed and nestled into Coulson's side. He faltered at first, unsure of what to do, but soon he was relaxing again with Natasha to his right. 

By the end of the film Alayna was sleeping soundlessly against his chest. Tony and Pepper retreated for an early night and Clint and Natasha hit the gym one final time. Phil smiled at Maria who had taken a photograph of him nestled on the sofa. 

"I'll see you tomorrow" Maria whispered to him. She made her way to the lift, waving goodbye at Hel and Bruce who were clearing away the dozens of bowls and glasses that were now empty. 

Phil then carefully lifted Alayna and carried her towards the kitchen, making sure he didn't disturb her sleep. 

"What floor are you on" he said quietly to Hel who kissed her sisters forehead before replying. 

When he had reached their floor he asked JARVIS to dim the lights as he made his way through the mass of beanbags that littered the open floor. He spotted Alayna's room immediately. The door was covered in a crayon drawing of two large golden gates that filled every inch of the surface. Tony had taken the opportunity to make a plaque. It sat nestled just above the handle and read:

'Gates to Asgard'  
By Alayna   
This piece portrays the gates in which Asgardians enter in order to reach their Kingdom. Our critics from Asgard itself call it the best representation they has ever seen.  
This is a proud addition to our growing collection here at Stark's Art. 

He raised an eyebrow in amusement, apparently Tony encourage this artwork around his home. He gently stepped inside, laying her on the bed he carefully tucked her in. As he left the room he couldn't resist a look back. She slept soundly, the quilt rising and falling slowly as she breathed. 

He called for a car when he reached the street below and waited with Steve till it arrived. 

"I really enjoyed the film" Steve told Phil who looked relived that it wasn't a bad choice. 

"I remembered Natasha having a fondness of it" Coulson admitted which just made Steve love the man even more. He never put himself first, a trait Steve admired about him.

"Why have you only just come back from the dead" Steve asked rather abruptly but he needed to know. Phil just smiled sadly as if he knew this question would come from Steve. 

"First of all Fury has been asking me for months now to return but I just couldn't face the fact that I had left in the first place. You all needed the push and now the world has the avengers, that I do not regret. However how would you have reacted if a week later I turned up on your doorstep"

Steve just hung his head acceptingly. He would have left the avengers had that been the case. He hated being lied to and tricked into things. No matter how many times Natasha told him he was in the wrong business he still stood by his views on honesty. 

"What about Clint and Natasha?" Steve asked. "Clint was inconsolable"

A pained look flashed across Phil as he fought to keep his head up high. 

"I wanted them to have a team. To have people who they could trust and depend on. For so long they hit it out on their own, either together or apart, they had orders and nothing else. They need you, even if they wont admit it. And from what I saw tonight, not coming back was the best thing I ever did for them" he remained professional though Steve could tell it was a sensitive subject. "They are not the first agents I have handled but they are definitely going to be the last" he smiled. 

"Are they that much trouble?" Steve joked. 

"No It's just I never want anyone else" 

Just then his car arrived and with a longer than usual handshake he was gone into the night. Steve smiled to himself as he walked leisurely back into the tower. 

~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~||~~~

Everything was going so well for the team. Though they didn't know it, he'll was breaking out within Shield but the tower was tranquil. It was only a matter of time before something stirred the water and threw them back into the centre of it all. That morning had been like any other, breakfast spread across three hours, a film playing in the background. 

Then Alayna threw up. Violently. All over Steve who had been hugging her after she said she felt unwell.

Bruce rushed over, his cereal abandoned on the worktop, he leaned Alayna forwards as she threw up again. On the third painful retch she started crying. 

Steve took off his top to avoid covering her in sick as well and tried his best to sooth her. She felt like fire against his chest as he stroked her arms tenderly. She looked so small in his arms as she shook and trembled. 

"Watch it" Bruce said noticing the signs and took a step backwards as she was sick on the floor. 

"Something she ate" Steve asked worriedly, rubbing her back whilst Bruce fetched some towels and a bucket. They didn't think Tony would appreciate a trail of vomit all the way to the bathroom so they kept her on the sofa. 

"Possibly" Bruce sighed, honestly having no idea what could be causing this amount of sickness. 

"You want to run tests don't you?" Steve asked knowingly. Bruce nodded shyly as he realised he had moved most of his equipment to the Helicarrier. Whether it was in the sea or in the air, it was where most agents ended up after a mission. At the time it had seemed sensible to move it all there but now he was regretting his decision more than ever.

"JARVIS alert Hel to the situation. If she wants to come meet us in the roof"

"Right away sir" 

Steve stood confused for a second then it dawned on him. "You can't treat her here can you" , Almost immediately she threw up into the bucket. With barely a whisper Alayna spoke.

"I want my dad"


	32. To suffer alone.

She was carried by Steve to the balcony where Bruce signalled the helicopter towards the platform. Hel came running out after them, still dressed in her pyjamas, her bare feet slapping against the cold concrete. It was lovely to walk on in the afternoon when the sun had heated them up but for now the tiles were cold and dead, much like how she felt in that moment. 

"Let me see her" She screamed just as the helicopter touched down. It was hard to hear her over the propellers but nobody could miss her running towards them like a determined athlete. She vaulted the rails separating her from the platform and stopped just short of Bruce. 

"Let me go with her" she asked again seriously. 

"I don't think that's a-" Steve started but was cut off by an icy glare that put Natasha's to shame.

"That wasn't open for debate" 

"Are you sure" Bruce asked keeping his distance from the firery teenager.

"She's my sister of course I'm sure" she said angrily, pushing past Steve and climbing into the helicopter as if she had done it a thousand times. Bruce knew for a fact that she hadn't due to the glimmer of fear that shone in her eyes as she tried to hide her frantic assessment of what she was sitting in. 

They were in the air before she knew it and a young doctor was putting a blanket across Alayna to protect her from the cold interior. Hel sat nearest her head, gently holding her hand and stroking her thumb over the pale skin. 

"What's wrong with her" she asked, fear lacing her voice. 

"I think she has just an stomach bug"

"Then where are we going"

"I just want to make sure" he explained watching as she lowered her head and gripped the bed tighter. It was in this moment that he realised who they were with. She wasn't some defenceless young girl who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was the daughter of a god and she was proving she could dish out what she was served. Steve obviously noticed it too as he was being unusually reserved.

They emerged through the thin layer of clouds to see the Helicarrier loom over them like some metal beast. It appeared silent as it speared through the air, a dagger. A dagger with four engines as big as cars and large enough to to house entire planes on its back. Beast seemed to sum it up pretty well in Hel's mind. 

She could see two people waiting for them. They had large tanks on their backs which as they got closer, she could see were connected to masks fitted across their face. She was handed one herself and took a deep breath before fitting it. When the doors were open everything happened in double quick time. 

Alayna was wheeled across the open deck and towards a door with large red crosses neatly painted on the windows. The two people happened to be Coulson and Hill who were just as concerned as Steve and Bruce were. This didn't sit right with Hel who was hating the situation more and more as it went on. 

Once the red light had stopped flashing they were able to remove their masks which she did in haste. With all these people the lift was cramped and hot, not to mention the smell of illness in the air. If the others were feeling nauseated by it, they didn't show it. 

"Bed five is empty" Coulson said, hanging a clipboard onto the metal bar near Alayna's feet. She was eerily still, dry tears seeping into her skin as she tried to seem strong. Her breathing was in shallow gasps and once or twice Hel saw her whole body convulse as she fought to keep what was left in her stomach down. 

Various doctors and nurses approached but Bruce sent them all away. They came back with various liquids, bottles, and tubes, and no matter how much she hated it, Hel made herself stay in the chair. 

Alayna had been given an anti-sickness tablet to start but that had come back up and quickly as it had been swallowed. That was when the needles came out. Hel looked away as her sister was turned into a human pin cushion. 

As she sat there in the chair she realised how numb she felt. Down here in the hospital, it felt clinical and deadly. This place didn't smell as nice as the kitchen back at the tower, it smelt of illness and blood. It burned her nostrils as she focused on what was around her. Two men and a woman lay opposite the bed, on metal slabs of their own. They were chained to the wall by tubes and needles. Their eyes all stayed closed, held shut by gravity and the weight of whatever terrors they faced. 

One man had his shirt off, revealing what could only be described as a battlefield of cuts and bandages soaked red. The woman was covered mostly by a curtain that hung unmoving around her bed, shielding what was left of her body. 

The grime and mud that still caked their bodies showed they hadn't long been walking around, talking, laughing at a joke. Now they were piles of bones and muscle, kept alert by the whirring of machines and the beeping of monitors. 

Alayna reached out her hand and fumbled awkwardly till she felt her hand. Loosely clutching at her fingers, Alayna's skin felt cold against hers. She was facing away from her, cheek resting on the side ready to heave into a bucket. Though she couldn't see her face Hel could see thick veins pulsing wickedly under her arms and neck that lay bare. 

Hel made sure to keep her eyes averted from the metal peeking out of her other hand. It made her feel sick to the bone. 

"These tests should be back in an hour" Bruce smiled moving off to take them wherever he was going. Hell didn't really care in that moment. She was lost in the haze of the atmosphere. Time has slowed right down, she could count the seconds as they passed yet the clock didn't seem to move. She slipped further into her trance as she waited. Waited for Alayna to stop crying, for Bruce to return with the results, waited to go home. It all blurred into nothing as her day seeped through her fingers. 

At some point Steve had also left her side. All she saw was Alayna, curled into a ball and breathing deeply as the sedative worked its way through her system. Before too long she was peaceful. The sickness had subsided and whatever they had pumped into her was doing its job. Still Hel stayed away from her face. She couldn't bare to see her eyes closed, not like before. She didn't want to think of her sister being like what she could see opposite. A corpse of the person that once was. 

An hour and too many flashbacks later, Bruce returned with a stack full of papers. Steve followed suit with hot chocolate. Hel accepted it and tried to let the warmth spread through her. She still felt dead inside though. 

"She's fine" Bruce explained which only made Hel clutch onto Alayna tighter. "Whatever she has she just has to get through it. But they will keep her under. For protection" 

She knew the protection was for everyone else and not the small girl led before her. Hel kissed Alayna's forehead and smoothed out her hair again. His solum look concluded her angry thoughts. Shortly after a crowd of people shuffled into the infirmary. Supportive hugs were given but all Hel could do was kick the curtain closed to avoid seeing the agents. 

Alayna looked more childlike now, bundled amongst the thick blankets they had wrapped her in and surrounded by balloons and soft toys. 

Hel could only stare in horror when Alayna started shaking violently, almost pulling out the tubes which made her squirm in her chair that she had yet to leave. 

"It's just a side effect" Bruce helpfully pointed out. Tony was holding down her feet after she violently kicked one of bed rails. An ugly green purple bruise was now bubbling up on her ankle. Loki was going to be so angry. 

Her motivation had disappeared along with the time. Inside, her mind was alive and ready to take on the world but her body was a dead weight she didn't have the energy to move. 

"I'm fine you go home" she explained tiredly as everyone made their way back out. Nobody seemed happy about leaving Hel on her own but she figured it had something to do with being 'in the heart of SHIELD' that made them rest easy. They had been there for over four hours yet she couldn't remember any of the small talk that was made. All she could think was how angry her father would be that Alayna got sick. 

This whole day has been lost as she just sat there and observed. Her father would be so disappointed, she hadn't even attempted to find out more information. She had just sat there, and became tangled in her own thoughts. Truth was she was tangled in her own nightmares. Her own nightmares of Alayna led on a cold, hard, surface, unmoving and so very pale. People poking holes in her and calling it 'testing'. 

She was tangled in the web that was her past and it was slowly coming up to strangle her. 

She sat there alone for the rest of the evening. She was there when they topped up Alayna's sedation, she did protest but she was so drained she could only sit still and watch Alayna's eyes drift close once more. She was there when a pizza arrived with a note saying 'from your Team :)'. Half of it lay uneaten at the end of her bed when Coulson came in to see how she was doing.

She was there when the last agent's monitors started beeping frantically, echoing throughout the otherwise empty room. She shuffled closer to Alayna and covered her ears with her hands. Still the sound speared into her head like knives. She pulled the curtain tighter around themselves as her blood ran cold and her heart rate quickened. 

A light flashed above his head, piercing the otherwise dreary metal cage they were all in. Everything remained dark and dull as doctors ran in from the single door at the end of the room. The air remained stale as they wheeled him out, beeping and all.

When the silence returned, Hel was still tense. Contorted into the hard chair with not a single limb hanging off the side. 

She was alone when she heard two nurses talking in hushed voices so as not to wake the dead. She was alone when she found out these agents were all that was left of a team of twenty. Her heart ached as she imagined their lives before where they lay now. 

Suddenly the room became very very small. She was fidgeting now, biting her nails and clasping her hands together. Alayna chose this moment to roll over, still deep in the clutches of sleep. Her skin was drawn tight across bony cheeks, the chubby shape long gone.

A breathing tube aligned itself with her nose, framing the dark circles under her eyes. She looked so old. Hel took a stuttered breath as she chocked back a sob. 

"We lost him" A doctor came in and announced to the two nurses. The last agent, gone. The room got smaller. Hel had been catching glimpses of his form all day, bright yellow t-shirt with jeans. He had been stable, she had heard him murmur things to his teammates though they never replied. She watched him write a letter, so old fashioned compared with the technology he was surrounded by. She had watched his last moments. 

Her throat ached with the impending lump that she couldn't swallow. One more look at Alayna had her head swimming and her mind overflowing with emotion and thoughts. 

Before she knew it she was bursting out into the brightly lit corridor outside. The light took some adjusting to, compared with the dim empty light filling the room behind her. She stumbled under arch ways and through doors, going nowhere except forwards. She couldn't breath, she was suffocating from her need to cry. But she couldn't, not yet. 

She found an empty corridor with white walls and small alcoves in which she could hide. She sank down against the wall and buried her head in her knees that were drawn tightly to her chest. Then she cried. 

She was still dressed in her pyjamas, checkered bottoms with a blue strapped top, now soaking because of the tears that gushed down her cheeks. But she didn't care. She didn't care that she was shivering with shock and the cold. She just cried. Nobody walked past her which she was glad of, but she started to feel empty inside. All she wanted was for Loki to round the corner, a smiling Alayna in hand and for him to take her back to Arbor where they were safe. 

These thoughts made her feel even more sad. She cried because her father wasn't there. She cried because Alayna was ill. She cried because she didn't know what to do. She cried because once again she was sat in heap of the floor crying, instead of staying strong and actually doing something. She was so weak.

As she heard footsteps approaching her crying turned to muffled gaps of breath. A large figure stood over we before sitting down with her. She glanced up to see a man with an eyepatch holding out a tissue for her. 

"Thought you might want this" he said professionally. She sniffed again before taking it. "How is your sister?"

"She's fine" she said wiping her eyes, it all seemed so stupid now. Alayna hadn't gone, she was just asleep. That still didn't calm the raging inside her head. Today has been far too much of a surprise for her to deal with. 

"But you're not. I bet you haven't let your guard down for a while now" 

The way he spoke filled Hel with confidence. What he did say was to the point and spot in every time. She shook her head letting the last tears spill into the tissue. 

"Then you are lot like most of the people you have spent time with. We all bottle things up here, you're not the first person to cry in these corridors and you're not the last" That made her smile. 

"My office has far more comfortable seats" he offered standing up quickly. She joined him walking down the identical hallways, passing windows with their blinds partly shut. She followed him anywhere as long as it wasn't back to the infirmary. When she arrived into his office it wasn't at all what she was expecting. It was light and open with stylish furniture littering the room. A large desk sat in front of a row of large windows much like the ones at the tower. From here she could look out onto the world below. 

Through the clouds she could see a striking blue ocean. She had never seen it like that and it was beautiful. She stood next to the glass, not close enough to touch it, and stared as they rumbled overhead. 

"Drink?" Fury asked as he poured an amber liquid into his own glass. He poured an identical one when she nodded unsurely. He made his way behind the desk and she sat down on the other side, suddenly noticing how dry and cracked her face felt. She tapped the glass in her hands nervously as she sank into the plush leather. 

"Any word from your father" 

"None that I'm aware of". Fury noted the bitter tone in her voice and decided to try and make her relax. She would tell him more if she wasn't still reeling over the events of today. 

"Drink. You'll feel better" she took a tentative sip and shrugged at the taste. 

"I'm sorry you had to witness that" 

"I should have been stronger, I apologise for my reaction."

"We could all do with being stronger from time to time" he sighed wondering if he should tell her about the countdown. He was doing his best to shield the computer screen which still sat ticking away though it had been unplugged and switched off hours ago. Fury knew he was only delaying the inevitable but he wanted someone on the same level of what they were facing to be present when he broke the news. 

He had hoped Hel knew how to contact her father but it seems she had never needed to in the past and was just as lost as he was when it came to ideas. That made him even more restless. Once again Shield was playing catch up to a major threat and they weren't gaining any ground. He didn't like having to trust Loki, no matter what he had done now, it was hard to stick up for the person that had almost ruined New York. 

He watched as Hel finished her drink and tilted her head back till she was staring at the ceiling. 

"I am going to help fight" she spoke suddenly not making eye contact but continuing to stare at the lights overhead. "As will my sister"

"I don't think that is wise"

"She can learn to control it just as I have" she looked him in the eye now. "We have two weeks. That's more than enough time"

"How did you-"

"The countdown is from him. Isn't it?" she motioned to the screen. 

"Yes" he replied sorrowfully. He had no idea how she had seen it but he wasn't ready for her noticing it. 

"Then we shall fight. We brought this threat to your door, it would be cowardly to let you fight it for us"

"As much as I appreciate the gesture I don't think you realise what you are getting yourself into here. This is dangerous, and not just the motherly dangerous. People die here"

"I've noticed" Hel muttered. 

"If I knew who we we are dealing with then maybe I'd think about it but my answer is a resounding no"

"Who we're dealing with?" Hel stared dumbfounded. She swung round in her seat and lowered her top so he could see her back. Veins pulsed a sickly yellow around the deep wound that was red and angry. If Fury was affected by it he didn't show it outwardly. "I know better then anyone who we are dealing with. Pain and suffering beyond your wildest nightmares awaits anyone who gets involved" her voice was rising in anger as the memories and pain rose up from within in, threatening to consume her. 

"Never just assume that I am naive and childish and think this is all some game. I know what's at stake and all I want is to come out of the shadows and live without fear of dying the next time my father leaves." She was shouting now, and Fury didn't look at all bothered. For some reason this bothered her even more. 

"You may have seen some things in your time but what we face now is greater and deadlier than all of those things combined. Please. I don't want to sit on the sidelines any more"

There was a knock at the door that prevented Hel from taking it any further. She slumped back in her chair forcefully and let Fury get up to answer it. A group of agents who all looked very new and very nervous started rambling about a mission they had just finished. Fury held up his hand to silence them and that was when one noticed her sat in the chair. She kicked Fury's desk so her back was to the door, and stared out of the window as they muttered outside. 

"Is that the girl" one said in a hushed whisper as his teammate explained in detail the mission de-brief. 

"No that's the older one. I hear she still has freakish powers like Loki" another replied. Hel clenched her fists and tried to block out their conversation. It was taking all her energy to remain in the chair. 

"Do you recon she's as insane as him"

"It probably runs in the family" they all laughed quietly. She was standing in an instant and striding over to the doorway, her eyes glowed a bright blue that made the junior agents pale. They started to stumble back and before she knew it they were bolting down the corridor. 

"Hel" Fury shouted as she took off after them with haste. She easily caught up with the stumbling agents and shoved them into a large room taking note of the sign 'cafeteria' above the door.

People were parting as she walked in after the group of four and separating to the outskirts of the room. They knocked their knees on the many chairs and tables that littered the floor as they apologised at the top of their voices. Older agents were taking cover behind tables and raised their guns, red lights dancing across the walls and her. 

"Don't shoot" Fury bellowed as he strode into the centre. Hel's eyes were still alight with a blue fire as she gathered the energy into her centre.

"I'm sure you've heard the stories" she said cooly, taking note of the terrified faces in front of her. "I've taken out more than you"

"Liar" the boy in front screamed out though he flinched away when she raised her hand.

"Hel" Fury warned, hand braced on his own gun. He could see a blue vapour gathering around her chest and knew what was coming. 

"I'm a liar am I?" she shouted back sending forth a ripple of energy that struck the agents square on. They slumped into a pile and one of the older agents guns echoed out with a loud bang. The bullet twisted when it reached what was left of the energy and fell to the floor with a small clatter. Everybody stood in silence as the last whips of blue energy were absorbed back into her palms. She straightened the strap on her top and stared at the pile of bodies before her. Their breaths were shallow but obvious, each moving the others in their tangled web of limbs. 

"Are they-" the agent with the gun asked warily. 

"Sleeping" she responded catching his eye. People around the edges started to stand, all cautiously looking to Fury to lead. She hadn't helped her cause at all. This would spread like the plague, Fury would never allow her out of his sight now. 

Her mind turned to all the times she had let her power get the better of her. The rage that built until she couldn't think straight till she unleashed hell. She had it under control, until she herself lost control. She was a weakness, a liability. She hated having to deal with the aftermath of her anger, people weren't very accepting of her after she had caused chaos. 

"I apologise" she whispered, tensing up as eyes burned fear into her skin. "That hasn't happened in a long time" 

"You haven't sent someone to sleep?" Fury questioned. 

"I haven't gotten angry in a while" she admitted sheepishly. "I will leave" she said as she looked down at the floor. Fury placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Dont" he said slowly, his look as hard as steel as he weighed up the risks of what he was about to do. 

"It's a pleasure to have you on board" Fury smiled shaking her hand. He smirked inwardly as he felt confusion radiate out from her. 

"Sir?" An agent asked in disbelief. Furys hand never left her shoulder, it grounded her and made her feel more confident than she should be right now. 

"I'd like to remind you all of another person in Shield who has anger issues. Do any of you make him feel unwelcome?" Silence filled the cafeteria as realisation sunk in. "Though I do not approve of what she just did we will all make her feel as welcome as we have Doctor Banner understood" everyone nodded but remained quiet. Fury continued to lead Hel back towards his office. Once inside again he sighed deeply. 

"I'm sorry" She said again sincerely. Fury ignored her. 

"I will allocate you a room for the next few days. You are to remain inside it except at mealtimes and to visit your sister" Hel nodded sadly though it seemed too light a punishment for what she just did. 

"Thank you" she said knowing this day could have ended up at the top of her 'worst days of my life list'. 

"You cannot loose control like that again. You do and you're out of here"

"I promise you it will not happen again" 

"Stick to your promises. You'll find you make more friends"

"Clint says you don't make friends here" she questioned remembering their conversation in the vents. 

"Clint also says he could get any girl he wants. Take his words with a pinch of salt" Fury smiled before dismissing her with a keycard and a number. She couldn't help but feel like she had been handed a lifeline. When she entered her room she didn't even stop to look around. She headed straight for the bed where she fell face down into the not so soft mattress. She definitely preferred Tony's accommodation but she didn't have the energy to care. With a large sigh she let the exhaustion beat her body and mind till sleep saved her from any more aching.


End file.
